Pieces of a Shattered Life
by swimmersflip123
Summary: She left. Two years ago she disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Then she turned up naked, bloody, soaking wet. And dead. Now Beck is left to pick up the pieces and try to find out what exactly happened to his beloved Jade. LOTS of Bade. Cabbie, Tandre.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay, new story. Here I go.**

**OH, and it may seem sad and boring now, but it WILL have loooooooooooooooots of Bade, cuz I'm me, and me can't resist.**

**Disclaimer: Victorious is not mine. Sad.**

* * *

><p>It was too bright. The lights stood out in the dark like an artificial day, which given the shady couture of the area, might have been a relief at one time. But not now. Now, the sirens burned his ears, their ringing bringing him a sense of dread rather than the sense of relief one would expect when they knew that help had arrived.<p>

But he knew that there would be no help. There would be nothing, nothing at all. Because she was dead. Being the lover to her as he was, he had hoped. When he first saw her, he had anxiously pounded his hands over her heart, yearning and praying that some life would go back into her. That some life would go back into him. He had kissed her pale, bloodless lips, breathed his own air into her, and still she would not wake. Because she was dead.

She had not been wearing clothes. This might have proven as a distraction, once, years ago. Hell, it would have been a distraction right then, or in any other circumstance. But not in this one.

Because she was dead.

The word rang in his ears, mocking him, chiding him, making him scream, cry, anything to make it stop. But those words, that harsh reality, chimed on like the toll of a clock. _Dead. Dead, dead, dead!_

The paramedics arrived eventually, which brought him back to the present time. He took of his out shirt and laid it over her, feeling the paramedic's eyes on his abs. She would have hated that. But it didn't matter because she was dead, dead, _dead._ The put her body on a yellow stretcher, none to carefully, because everyone knew there was no longer a soul, a person, a wisp of life inside.

And Beck kissed her dead, dead lips once more, murmuring into her silken skin.

"Jade."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN; Okay, this chapter is much happier! (ish)**

**Also, italizied sections are flashbacks.**

**Still don't own Victorious...**

* * *

><p><em>Ten months later…<em>

"Beck!" The voice called, accompanied by the tapping on the window. Beck lifted his head out of his hands.

"What, Tori." He called hoarsely, no real emotion in his voice. The door creaked open and Tori Vega peered inside.

"Beck, it's time to go! We're gonna be late!"

"You and Andre go. I'll catch up."

The younger Vega sister strode inside, her pink high heels clacking against the tile in the hallway. The shoes were not her choice, of course, but rather Cat's. She reached Beck, sitting on his beat-up couch, absolutely towering over him.

"You always say that, Beck. And then you never show and call to give some phony excuse." Beck turned his head, his listless eyes meeting hers, but never really focusing . Tori pursed her lips and stared at him, then spun on her heel and left.

Beck sighed and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He was glad she had gone. This was not her house. This was his house. His and Jade's house.

"_Com' on, babe. That last house wasn't so bad." He smiled at her as the two drove away from the latest open house. _

"_It wasn't bad." Jade replied, tying her hair back so the wind due to the convertible would not ruin it. "It just wasn't us." He grabbed her hand, loving the sound of the 'us' and his ring on her finger. He kept holding her hand the whole drive back to their tiny apartment, nearly having a heart attack when she screamed 'STOP' suddenly. She pointed to a house, old and run down, practically an antique. The dark olive green paint was chipping, the black iron gate rusty. A crooked For Sale! sign hung forlornly in the overgrown front lawn._

"_It's perfect."_

At first, Beck had fought her. But it was pointless. A month later they moved in, and every weekend was spent fixing it up. Turns out, Jade was right. It was perfect, after a lot of work, a fresh coat of olive green paint, and a little love. Within a week of living there, Beck knew Jade had been right.

Beck was drawn out of his reverie by the clapping of a young black man. Beck blinked sleepily as his best friend, Andre Harris, appeared above him. He looked angry, Beck realized.

"It's Cat's wedding, man." He said sternly. "You are not missing this."

Beck did not respond. Tori piped up from Andre's elbow, sounding scared and sad.

"Cat was her best friend."

Later, after being shoved in the shower, forced to shave, stuffed in a suit, and frog marched to the grove where the wedding took place, Beck was silently thanking Andre and Tori. Jade would have killed him if he missed this. Beck stood beside Andre, who was next to Robbie, who was linked with Cat, who had her arm around Tori. The blank spot next to Tori, awkwardly empty and constantly complained about by the photographer (Three people on one side and only two on the other was apparently a problem), was filled by a flower, sitting innocently one the grass. To any onlooker, this might have appeared a coincidence. A teal blossom, fallen from a the bouquet, or blown away from the garlands in the wind. But really, it stood for Cat's missing bridesmaid. It stood for Jade.

And that flower was everywhere. It was in Cat's bouquet as she walked down the aisle, in her hair when she and Robbie danced. It beside her at the dinner table, it was next to her when everyone gave their speeches.

Cat was the blushing bride, made even more ravishing by the look of pure love that fell upon her from Robbie's eyes. Her ceremony was beautiful, the reception just right. She danced and laughed, and kissed her husband. The night was made even more perfect by Andre finally, _finally_ proposing to Tori, and she agreeing. The cake was sublime, and the send-off was great, despite the fact that Cat and Robbie weren't really going anywhere. Cat had a movie deal, and had to stay in town. The guest filled out, woozy and happy, everyone slightly drunk. No one noticed as Cat slipped away.

She went back outside, out to a quiet spot, still holding her flower. Her red hair tumbled from her intricate hair-do as Cat tilted her head back to stare at the full moon.

"I wish you were here, Jadey." She confessed to the pearly orb, and sank to her knees, cradling the flower.

"She would have made fun at you." Came the deep, rich voice of Jade's husband. Cat looked up, her make-up running and her eyes red. Beck came and knelt next to her.

"She would have asked you why you were marrying such a dweeb. She would have criticized the flowers, she would have hated all the pink." Cat nodded and made a half-sob half-laugh noise, because she knew Beck was right. Beck put an arm around her.

"She would have gotten back at you from making her cry at our wedding."

_Jade was glowing, Beck realized. Not in the, cheesy, corny, cliché way that all brides seem to, but actually, legitly, glowing. He blamed the fact that it was a full moon. _

_And she had every reason to glow. It was her wedding. _

_She actually laughed at Tori and Andre's speech to her and Beck. She looked puzzled as Cat took the floor, expecting some crazy, long-winded and not at all relevant monologue from the red-head._

_But Cat's speech was beautiful. She didn't drawl about their future or their love, which no one could understand but Beck and Jade themselves. She told them about her memories of them. In high school. Jr. High. College. She recounted Beck's 42 times asking Jade out, and the 42 times she denied him. And the one time she said yes._

"_Once, Jade and Beck dragged me into a janitors closet with them, asking if I thought they were the perfect couple." She said."I fainted before I could answer. But Jadey, and Beck, I want you to know what I would have said. And you wouldn't have to ask me 42 times." Cat looked right at her best friend, both of them smiling and crying at the same time._

"_I would have said yes."_

* * *

><p><strong>Reveiw?<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Really short, really fillerish chapter. I knida hate it. Sorry. But the next one will be better!**

* * *

><p>"Beck?"<p>

"Yeah, Cat?"

The red-head was a mess. Her dress had grass stains, her make-up runny, her eyes reflecting nothing but pure pain.

But then Robbie showed up next to her, scuffling slightly awkwardly (fro Robbie rarely did anything any other way.) She twisted around to look at him, and Beck could tell that Robbie's heart nearly broke at the sight of her crying. He fell to his knees and she collapse into him, sobbing.

"How, "She asked Robbie's shirt, but Beck knew that question was directed at him. "How did she die? How could she die?"

"_It was a murder." Said Dr. Ruskin to Beck. "This woman was murdered."_

"_Yes," Agreed the Police Officer, Officer some-one-or-other. "Victim was ap-"_

"_Victim?" Beck spoke up. "Victim? She has a name!"_

"_Yes, she did." Agreed Dr. Ruskin icily. "Jade Oliver. So you must be… her husband?"_

_Beck nodded._

"_Alright, Mr. Oliver. **Jade **was attacked with a knife, at approximately 12 to 12:30 a.m. The police were called at around 2 o clock, and you found her two minutes after that. The person who called was a…" He checked his notes briefly. "Geoffrey Ruskin."_

"_Yeah, he called me as well. Told me that he had found Jade, and he knew that she is… was my wife." The officer nodded to the doctor, to show that the story checked out._

"_Can you tell me what Jade was doing? " asked the officer._

_Beck shook his head sadly._

"_I don't know."_

"_Until tonight, I hadn't seen her in nearly two years."_

* * *

><p><strong>Reveiw? I'll love you forever!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I dont own Victorious.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Beck! You're crazy!" Jade shouted at him, casting a disgusted look at the paint all down her front. <em>

_Her dark hair was tied back in a messy bun, her pale skin slightly pink from sun exposure, and her entire front dripping with paint. He had spilled some "accidently" and it just happened to land on Jade. They were painting the black trim on their house, a small job that they had neglected to do for weeks. Jade didn't want professionals to do this part. It'll be more fun this way, she insisted._

"_I know." He shouted back at her from his place on the ladder. "But that's why you love me!" She grinned at him, and he was so entranced by her smile that he did not notice when she threw her paint brush, effectively leaving a large black stain all over his jeans. His **favorite **jeans. He had tried to convince her on a white trim, but she insisted on black._

"_Love you, babe." She laughed. He tossed the brush back, but Jade dodged it. A smile broke out on his face as Jade did a kind of victory dance._

_She stuck her tongue out at him, and he climbed down from his perch on the ladder, knocking her backwards onto the newly sprouting grass. As their hysterical laughter died down, he leaned his head down to hers, feeling the sparks that never failed to die as he touched her perfect pink lips. The old rock band t-shirt she was wearing had ridden up, reveling a porcelain skin. He wanted nothing more than to rip that damn shirt off, and make love to her right there._

"_You were right." He said to her. Her eyebrows drew together in puzzlement._

"_I always am. About what this time?"_

"_The house." He laughed. "About the painting, about the color, about everything."_

_Jade smirked at him, brushing pieces of grass from his hair._

"_So I'm always right?"_

_He nuzzled her neck and made a deep, sexy sound at the back of his throat. Jade took this as a yes. She gasped as he caressed her collarbone with his lips, arching her body against his._

"_Then am I right in saying that we should probably go inside before our neighbors see us like this again?" _

_Hours later, Beck lay on his back, Jade sprawled over his chest. The late-afternoon sun, wafting lazily onto the room in a single beam, seemed to shine only on her. He ran his fingers through her hair, loving life, loving himself, loving her._

"_You know, we're never gonna get anything done if everything we do always ends up with us having sex." Jade said into his chest._

"_I know." Beck smiled, and then flipped her over so he was hovering over her lovely form. "But it's more fun this way."_

* * *

><p>"Beck?"<p>

They were back, Beck realized. Back to try and make him act human. HE sighed and turned his attention back to the book he was reading.

"Beck are you home?" Tori called again.

"Just go in, it's not like he's gonna answer." Andre told his fiancée.

The door creaked open and four people walked in, approaching the man sitting at the dining room table rather like one would approach a sick and wounded animal.

"Hey, Beck." Twittered Cat from her place safe in Robbie's arms. The other three all murmured greetings. Quietly, they all stared around the house. To Beck's credit, the house was in good order. He felt a duty to the house: Jade had not tolerated mess and Beck felt the need to uphold that standard.

"What are you doing here?" Beck asked, the question coming out harsher than he intended.

"Um, this has been cleared as evidence." Tori stepped forward from where she was standing with Andre. "You should have gotten a phone call…" Tori trailed of as Beck motioned to the blinking number on the home phone. 23 unread messages.

"Oh." Tori whispered. Andre stared at her, gladder than ever that she was in his life. Tori placed a worn black leather book on the table in front of Beck. For a moment, Beck stared at it hopefully, as if Jade would pop out of it. But she didn't so, he turned away.

"It's her diary." Cat burst out, burying her face in Robbie's shirt. She choked out between sobs. "I gave it to her."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, watcha guys think? I'm not getting to many reviews for this story, so I may not continue it. We'll see. I know it seems sad, but I SWEAR it has a happy ending that does not include anymore characters dying. <strong>

**What did you think of the flashback? That was fun to write :)**

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: OKay, here's the next chapter. I don't own Victorious.**

"Leave." Beck said dryly. "Please, leave."

"Beck –,"

"LEAVE!" He raised his voice into a shout. "GO! GET OUT! NOW!"

Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat's waist, trying to pull her away from the madman his best friend had become. Cat turned and hid her face in his neck, hiding from the image of Beck without Jade. Andre reached for Tori, but Tori stepped in front of Beck.

"No." She said, sounding slightly afraid of her own words. But then her resolve strengthened. "No, Beck. You can't live like this."

"Alright, then I'll be one of the most amazing people that ever existed and maybe I'll be murdered like Jade."

Dead. Silence. The wind whistling through a butterfly's wings in Africa could be heard. Beck touched his hand to his lips, as if to make sure he had really actually said that.

"Go." He whispered again.

"No." Tori shot back.

"Tori leave!"

"No, Beck! I won't! I'm going to stand here until-,"

"Until what?" He stood, knocking his chair over. "Until I act alive? Until I'm Beck again? Hate to break it to you Tori, but that is not gonna happen! Not without Jade! There is no Beck without her!"

"Jade is DEAD, Beck. Dead, and gone!" Beck covered his ears, not able to bear hearing the words. "So maybe it's time you moved on!"

Now the falling of a single snowflake in Antarctica could be heard with a resounding crash.

"Move on?" Beck whispered. He smiled sadly at Tori. She looked scared, like a deer in headlights. "If you think I can move on, then you don't know love."

"Beck…" Cat started, but Beck cut her off with a threatening glare.

"Don't start on her." Robbie said in a small way that still somehow sounded protective.

"Beck, maybe you should read her diary." Cat said.

"I can't, Cat. I just can't."

"Then let us help you."

Then he collapsed on his knees, crying. Not pretty little silent tears, but huge wracking sobs that seemed to shake the very foundation of the house. Andre was the first to move, the first to put his arms around Beck's shoulders. He didn't say anything, so false words of comfort, no weak promises of how 'it would be okay'. Cat followed, kneeling in front of Beck and holding his hands. Tori put her arm around Beck's other shoulder and Cat, while Robbie hurried to comfort the other side of Beck as well. The four of them swarmed around Beck, trying desperately to hold him together. And to hold themselves together too.

It was not too strange that it was Cat who broke the silence.

"You should read her diary, Beck." She said.

Beck looked at the small redhead sadly. She was Jade's best friend. His Jade. His beautiful Jade, who was always so protective of Cat. No matter how much she might complain, Jade was always willing to help Cat. Jade _loved_ Cat. So Beck took a breath.

"Will you help me?"

* * *

><p>Tori sighed and opened the book.<p>

"Um, Beck is gonna have to say when this happened, cause Jade didn't date her entries."

Beck nodded from his place on the couch, hand tightly clenched.

"I gave that to Jade as college graduation gift." Cat piped up from a chair, Robbie leaning against her legs. "So the first entry should be soon after that.

Tori tucked her long brown hair behind her ears and bent over the pages, opening her mouth to read.

**Theater is based around emotions, and how emotion makes out everyday occurrences something extraordinary. Emotion is the very constitution of theater. I consider myself somewhat of an expert at some of those emotions. But recently, I think I'm beginning to master another: love.**

Tori stopped abruptly.

"Who knew she was so deep? This doesn't sound like Jade at all."

Beck smiled. "She loved to write. It was the only time she really let down her walls."

Tori looked at him, stunned by the note of happiness in his voice.

"Except when she was around you, Beck." Cat said in a straightforward way, not bothering to hide the note of jealousy.

**He's back. I was stupid, I know, telling him that the distance thing wouldn't work between us. But I am an admittedly jealous person, quick to judge and quick to jump to conclusions. With Beck so far away from Julliard, surrounded by desperate, annoying people like Vega, I would be swift to assume he would cheat. Not because of the person he is, but rather the person I am. But he's back, and I get a second (or rather third, or fourth, or fifth) shot to show him how much I love him.**

**So I left Julliard, after he came to tell me he still loved me, and came with him to Hollywood. I left those four years of misery there, those four years without Beck. My life there, my classes, my teachers, my boyfriends. I left it all behind. I went back to Hollywood, re-found Beck, found my career, found myself. Best decision I've ever made, no contest. And now I love my job, I love myself. And I love Beck.**

**Maybe love isn't a strong enough word for what I feel for him. People use that word so casually these days: to describe how they love pizza, or their new shoes. I love Beck a hell of a lot more than anyone loves pizza or shoes. **

"Stop." Beck said suddenly. Tori shot him a glance, but stopped. Beck had tears running down his face.

"If she loved me so much, why did she leave me?"'

* * *

><p>After a while, Tori spoke.<p>

"When exactly did she leave?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Beck muttered.

"Did you guys fight? Did you see her leave? When did you realize she was gone?" Tori was louder now, and Beck was on his fight, hands over his ears, trying desperately, frantically to block out her questions to forget, forget to pain. Forget the feeling of knowing; just knowing she wasn't coming back.

"Stop! Stop it, Tori, shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up s-,"

But Tori kept at it, kept firing question after question at him, each one like a bullet and each one hitting the bulls-eye.

Beck grabbed the nearest thing to him: a vase. It crashed against the wall, the flowers impaled by bits of glass, the water staining the carpet. Soon a plate joined the vase, and then a TV remote, some candles, a lamp, and finally the diary. Andre quickly pulled Tori to him, hiding her behind his body, then strode toward Beck and wrapped his arms around his friend, keeping him from doing more damage.

"Beck! Beck, man, stop it. Clam down!" Andre said in a very not-calm voice.

Beck choked out something barely audible, his voice muffled. His eyes locked on Tori, or what was visible of Tori's head.

"She left right after her college reunion."

* * *

><p>"<em>Do we have to go?" Jade whined at Beck from her place sprawled on the couch. Beck looked up from where he was making him a sandwich. "I mean, I hated college! The only person I spoke to was Cat."<em>

"_I'm sure you had other friends." Beck replied, putting some cheese on the bread._

"_Nope." Jade said._

"_Come on."_

"_None."_

"_None?"_

"_None. Except, maybe whatever gank I was dating at the time."_

_Beck's eyes hardened as she spoke those words. He strode over to her, sandwich forgotten. Jade sat up as she saw him coming, eyes bright and anticipating a fight. She was used to Beck getting angry whenever she mentioned all the guys she went out with while she was trying to forget Beck. She did not expect him to promptly draw her face to his and kiss her fervently._

"_I will never," He said into her neck, "ever forgive myself for letting you go."_

_Jade laughed, slightly breathless._

"_Don't be ridiculous, Beck. It was me that ended it."_

_This happened to be an on-going argument between the two: Beck blamed himself for the four year rift, but Jade saw herself as the guilty one. _

_Beck opened his mouth to argue, but found it very difficult as Jade moved to straddle him. She began to grind her hips against his, and all Beck managed to choke out between the kisses was._

"_My… fault…"_

_Jade smirked and rolled her eyes, letting her hands roam to his abs and below. He tugged impatiently on the hem of her shirt, then moving to the flat plane of her stomach, then kneading her breasts._

"_Fine." She said in a seductive and husky voice as she played with his belts buckle teasingly. "So I guess we better make up for lost time." Beck moaned and placed her hand lower._

"_If we do this, we're going to be late." Beck panted. "Our flight…" But he lost his train of thought because Jade had pulled her shirt off. She didn't drop it though, but twisted in her hands._

"_Well, if you really think we should be going…" She put her hand through one sleeve. Beck blinked, as if blinded by her, the sight of all her lovely form. He grabbed her wrist and threw the offending shirt to the ground._

"_Screw that." He said, flipping her over so he was on top, already trailing a fiery path of kisses over her body. "I love you."_

_She looked up at him with her beautiful blue eyes, the ones he could never tire of staring at._

"_I love you too."_

_After they finished, they rushed to the airport, __only just making the plane._

"_I hate airport security." Jade complained when they finally made it onto the plane. Beck smiled and ran a hand though his hair._

"_Excuse me?" He called to a nearby stewardess. She bustled over to Beck and Jade's first-class seats._

"_Yes, what can I do for you?" She inquired, smiling politely._

"_Can I get a coffee, with two sugars?" asked Beck, lacing his finger with Jade's. Jade shifted, her shirt riding up. "And some ice too." Beck added when he saw the bruises forming on Jade's sides. The lady hurried off, then returned with the drink and ice._

"_Here, babe," Beck handed the cup to Jade. She nodded her thanks and took a sip as Beck put the ice on her hips._

"_You should've told me I was hurting you." Beck said. Jade shot him a look._

"_Please. I've had worse from you." Beck still looked worried, so Jade pressed her swollen lips to his._

"_I love you, Beck. And besides, if that's how you hurt me then I'm completely fine with it."_

_Soon another steward came around with the individual movie screens. Jade declined hers, preferring to drape half her body across Beck and simply watch his screen._

_Within hours, they arrived in New York, felling tired and travel-worn. Only to be bombarded by Cat._

"_Ohmygod! Jadeeeeeeeeeeeee!" the little redhead shouted as soon as Jade stepped out of the terminal._

"_Hey, Cat." Jade smiled suddenly revived. She hugged her friend fiercely. "I missed you." She whispered into Cat's hair._

_The car ride to Beck and Jade's hotel consisted mostly of Cat blabbering about her movie, the one that had kept her in New York for the last eight months. She went off on her usual tangents, but neither of the other two passengers minded. Eight Cat-less month had given them a new tolerance for…well… her._

"_Whelp, here you go!" Cat said as she dropped them off in front of the entrance."I'll see you tomorrow, k Jade?"_

_Jade said goodbye, and Beck grabbed her suitcase from the back. They checked in and hurried up to their room. _

"_Dibs on first shower." Jade called out, playfully poking Beck in the stomach._

"_No way. You got first shower last time."_

"_Yeah, but I called dibs."_

"_You promised I would get to go first, because you take like two hours in there!"_

"_So? Deal with it." Jade remembered when she made that promise, but she hadn't thought that Beck would._

"_But Jade!" he looked faux-astonished at her. "You pinkie swore!" She rolled her eyes, but then realized that Beck was serious. He was not giving up this shower._

_Jade pouted as they walked into the room, and sat on the bed with her arms crossed._

"_Please?" She said sadly, staring up at Beck with her very-special, rare occasion puppy-dog eyes._

_Beck sighed, but smiled at her._

"_Okay, fine." He kissed the top of her head. "But you owe me."_

**AN: Phew, I had a lot of issues with that one. But I think it turned out alright.**

**Next chapter will start where the flashback left off.**

**Reveiw?**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I could give you guys some phony excuse, but I wont cuz I really dont have one. I just got really uninspired because Bade is not together, and then Beck was acting totally stupid in Tori Goes Platinum.**

**Anyways, this mess of a chapter serves as my lame apology. Sorry again!**

**Reveiw?**

* * *

><p>"<em>You can just feel the awkward." Beck whispered in Jade's ear as the two walked into the party. Everyone swiveled to stare at them. It was Jade, the Jade West, who literally got nothing out of college and yet received more success than everyone. But Jade, being Jade, ignored all the pointed looks and conspicuous stares and walked over to join Cat and Robbie with Beck trailing behind.<em>

"_Hey, Jade!" Robbie greeted her. Robbie had thrived in college, filling out, getting a haircut, asking out Cat, and learning to express himself without Rex. "Nice dress." Cat elbowed him in the ribs and Beck wrapped his arms around Jade's waist. Jade smiled and looked up at him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead._

"_She's nowhere as pretty as you." Robbie meanwhile whispered in Cat's ear. Cat giggled. The red-head had also done well, losing some of her air headedness, but still maintaining enough to be the crazy Cat they all loved._

"_Nice save." She whispered back. "You were about to sleep on the couch." Robbie put his hand on her shoulders._

"_I slept on the couch last night anyways, seeing as we didn't make it to the bed." Robbie murmured to the red-headed girl, barely audible._

"_Shocking, Robbie. What an uncouth topic to talk about at a public function." Jade teased from her place in Beck's arms. Robbie grinned and Cat blushed and Beck laughed._

"_I have a secret!" Cat said suddenly, trying to change the subject. Jade replied._

"_Don't tell me: Your hair color isn't natural?" Beck laughed again and whispered something in Jade's ear. She smirked and twisted around in his embrace._

"_Oh, no you don't, Jade." Beck warned._

"_Don't what?" Jade feigned innocence. _

"_You know what." Beck replied. "You'll widen your eyes and look up though your hair and put on that sexy little pout and I'll have to do anything you want."_

_But Jade, being Jade, did just that and Beck felt such overwhelming affection for her just then that he could help but lean down and kiss her softly._

"_I told you…" He whispered against her silken skin. "Not to do… that."_

"_There it is!" Cat shouted suddenly. Beck and Jade jumped to stare at her._

"_There is what?"_

"_My secret." Cat said as she pointed across the room, to woman entering. Beyond her, stepping out of a separate car came another man._

"_Tori, Andre!" The four ran up to their friends._

"_What are you doing here?" Jade asked as Beck man-hugged Andre, her tone ruined by the giant smile on her face. Tori just rolled her eyes and pulled Jade in for a hug._

"_I missed you too, Jade."_

_They laughed and regaled their tales. Tori and Andre had both been in Hollywood under the same music company, but they weren't together. Cat and Robbie had been in New York, Cat working on her movie, and Robbie directing a popular comedy TV show. Beck and Jade had obviously been in Hollywood too, living their life dreams._

"_Hey, I'm gonna go get some punch." Cat said. "Anyone wanna come?" Andre jumped at the offer, and so did Robbie, warning Cat that the drinks were probably spiked._

"_Babe, can you get me some?" Jade asked. Beck nodded and headed after the others. Jade lead Tori to the side of the room where chairs were set up. The girls sat down, Tori complaining about her heels, and Jade simply sticking out her red Doc Martens as a reply. Small talk was exchanged, but the two soon lapsed into a comfortable silence._

"_So Tori," Jade adopted a more serious tone. "Tell me, when exactly did you fall in love with Andre?"_

_At this, Tori turned bright red and gaped like a fish._

"_I... well… How… Is it that obvious?" Tori stuttered, nervously playing with a bracelet._

"_Yup." Jade replied bluntly. Tori buried her face in her hands._

"_Almost as obvious as his love for you."_

_Tori blushed even deeper, but grinned._

"_Well, when did I join Hollywood Arts?" Tori asked, and Jade started counting back on her fingers. "Never mind. Right around then, I think."_

"_So do something about it!" Jade insisted._

* * *

><p>"I remember that!" Tori exclaimed, flipping her glossy brown hair behind her shoulder. "And then a random guy walked up, and got super mad at Jade because he was her ex, and he saw her with Beck!"<p>

"Yeah, the guy flipped out." Andre added.

Beck smiled. "He did overreact way too much."

"Well, to be fair, Beck, you and Jade were kinda all over each other." Robbie replied. "I mean, we're used to it, cause we've seen you together since high school, but to other people…"

"I don't think it helped that we got pretty drunk. Everyone got drunk. " Beck said. "I can barely remember that night." _Except for the parts with Jade_. Beck thought. _I remember every millisecond with her._

"Oh yeah!" Cat chipped in. " I remember! Then Jade's ex was nearly arrested at the end of the night because he had tried to plant a bomb in some car or another. Too bad he escaped."

Everyone turned to stare at Cat.

"What?" Tori choked out. " How come we never heard about this?"

"Oh, it was very hush-hush cuz the school didn't want a lawsuit." Cat said nonchalantly. "I only found out because Kate told Andrea who told her boyfriend, George, who got drunk and told Harry, and then Harry let it spill to John who told Amy, and Amy is a costume designer on my set. So Amy told Henry who told Freddie who told Leanne who told Hannah who told Rachel who told Sadie, and Sadie told me while she was doing my make-up!"

"And you didn't tell us?" Tori exclaimed.

Cat looked at the ground.

"I forgot, you know, after," She paused and gulped. "After Jade left."

"Cat," Beck said very softly. "What was his name?"

Cat scrunched her eyes closed in concentration.

"Alex." She said finally. "Alex Ruskin."


	7. Chapter 7

JADE POV (thoughts after reunion)

I didn't want to. Oh God, I didn't want to.

I didn't want to leave Beck. God knows I didn't.

But _he_ made me. He said he'd kill them, he said he'd kill Robbie, Tori, Andre. And Cat.

He said he'd kill Beck.

I ignored him, telling him that he was crazy.

He said that if I changed my mind after the end of the night, to meet him at the strip bar at the end of the street.

And then the bomb went off. In a red pick-up truck that looked exactly like Beck's. Thank God it wasn't Beck's.

And so I went.

I didn't want to.

* * *

><p>Beck moved as if a possessed man, stumbling to the phone and tripping over his own mess.<p>

"Beck?" Tori asked, confused. But her friend did not reply. Quickly he thumbed through the phone book, but that was to slow.

"Tori, what's your dad's phone number." He said quickly, the word falling out of his mouth like a waterfall.

"523-9867, and why do you need it?"

But Beck did not hear because he was already dialing.

"Come on, come on." He muttered impatiently.

"Mr. Vega?" He said when the phone clicked on the other line.

"Hello, Beck. What can I do for you?"

"Can you tell me the name of the doctor who examined Jade's body?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't have access to that inform-,"

"'Listen to me. This is very important. I need to know. If it is who I think I remember, than there may be a lead. Maybe Jade's not actually dead."

A sigh came from the other end of the line.

"Beck, I saw the body myself. You saw the body, you _held_ the body. You would think that if anyone could tell that she was dead, it would be you. I'm sorry, but it is not possible that she survived."

Beck looked cold and moved his jaw stiffly.

"One more question then, Mr. Vega."

"Yes?"

"Is there anyone by the last name of Ruskin at your station?"

"No. There used to be, but he resigned."

"Can you get me his file?" Beck spoke these words with such desperation that Mr. Vega couldn't help but want to help.

"No." Mr. Vega said. "THose files are very confidential. I can't help you. The only way you could get that information is if you were to come to the station tomorrow morning at 7:00 to pick up more cleared evidence, and I went to go get coffee and you just _happened _to manage to pick up a copy of the file that I left on my desk. So you see, there's really nothing I can do."

Beck grinned.

"Thank you."

When Beck hung up, Andre confronted him.

"Man, what is going on?"

"Think about it, Andre. _Think_! The guy who found Jade: Geoffrey Ruskin. The doctor who examined Jade: Dr. Ruskin."

"So? It's a coincidence."

"I thought that too, until Cat mention Jade's ex-boyfriend: Alex Ruskin." Cat, Andre, Tori and Robbie all looked stunned.

"But.. why would they?" Cat asked.

"And what better motivation," Beck continued, "than jealousy? Jade's ex-boyfriend sees me and her at a party, obviously together."

"Obviously." Robbie muttered. Beck shot him a glare, and Robbie held his hands up in a surrender.

"From what Jade told me, she never really severed ties with her last boyfriend. To quote her, this guy's name was 'Alec , Alex, or whatever.'"

"Okay, but one things wrong." Andre said. "What about her body?"

"That, "Beck replied. "Is what I'm going to find out."

Soon Tori and Andre had to leave, and Cat and Robbie decided to stay over at Beck's for dinner.

"I'm worried." Tori said to Andre as he back their car out of the drive-way.

"Yeah?" Andre replied, glancing over his shoulder. "Why? Beck seems to be doing better."

Tori frowned. "For now. But what if this lead of his turns out to be nothing? What if he's getting his hopes up for nothing?"

Andre grabbed Tori's hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll just have to be there for him, Tori."

"I know." She replied, twirling the ends of her hair with her other hand. "But what if that's not enough?"

* * *

><p>Beck woke up at 5 the next morning. For once he woke up smiling, because he was finally doing something to help Jade. He knew she could not be dead.<p>

Jade could be cruel, but she was not cruel enough to make him live without her.

**AN: Haha, you guys are so smart! You all made the connection between all the Ruskins :)**

**Reveiw?**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN; Boring chapter sorry. I trried to make it kinda funnyy, but im not sure if it worked. Next xhapter will be better, I promise!**

**I dont own Victorious.**

* * *

><p>"Are you ready yet Cat?" Robbie hollered from downstairs. "Breakfast is getting cold and Beck will be here in 15 minutes." He heard light steps dancing down the wooden stairs, realizing she was almost at the bottom when he heard the third step creak.<p>

"Morning, love." Robbie said, bustling around the kitchen preparing a plate for his wife. He spooned eggs onto the plate and added just a pinch of pepper, and then nearly dropped the whole plate when he saw Cat.

"Um, Cat." Robbie stuttered. He swallowed nervously. "Not that you don't look… beautiful, but why are you dressed like someone about to rob a bank?"

"Well I don't was anyone to see me when we sneak into the police station." Cat replied as she pulled her hood further her head.

"Cat, Tori is going to tell the officers that her dad forgot his lunch, and Beck is going to pretend to pick up more cleared evidence. We are going to wait in the car. You don't have to worry about being seen."

"Oh, eggs!"

"What?"

"Breakfast, silly. You made eggs, remember?"

Soon a horn honked from outside, signifying the arrival of Beck with the truck. Cat dumped her dished in the sink, the remainders of the eggs sliding down towards the garbage disposal. Robbie grabbed his phone from the counter and followed Cat out of the door, switching off the lights as he slammed the door.

He couldn't help noticing Cat's loveliness as she ran down the driveway, waving at Beck. Most people simply described the puny red-head as 'cute' and 'sweet'. But Robbie saw what others didn't: he saw the exquisite beauty and piercing charm that Caterina Valentine, now Shapiro, radiated. No one could ever get past all her Cat-ness and really truly admire her the way Robbie did. People questioned Cat's sanity, and Robbie didn't doubt that they would for the rest of her life. And she is crazy. But for him, she's perfect. She is his everything.

He can't imagine what it would be like to lose everything.

"Hey, Beck." Robbie said as he crawled into the truck. "Sup, Tor. Where's Andre?"

"He had to meet with some big-shot muckety-mucks. He won't be home till late tonight." Tori answered. She was dressed in blue jeans with a green and purple top, clutching a brown paper bag containing her father's lunch. She shot a look at Cat, but just decided to let it pass.

Beck glanced back to make sure everyone was in the car, then pulled away from the Shapiro's house quickly. The passengers all chattered, somewhat nervously, all anticipating and dreading the news they would receive. Within minutes they arrived at the station. Robbie bribed Cat away, promising her a Slurpee at the nearby 7-Elevan. Beck and Tori glanced at each other, took a deep breath and walked through the spinning glass doors.

"Hi, Kathy." Tori greeted the receptionist with a perky smile. The older woman nodded politely at Tori, and then went back to talking on the phone. Tori turned into a hallway at the left, the right, the right, then left.

"This place is like a maze." Beck muttered. Tori laughed nervously, then lead Beck into a crowded elevator.

"Floor -3, please." She replied to a man when he asked where she was headed. They stepped out when their floor dinged, only to be nearly run over by Mr. Vega.

"Hey, baby, I have to go to a meeting. Just leave my lunch on my desk under the picture of you and Trina in Hawaii. Use the back exit when you leave." He whispered the last part, and then rushed past the two.

"Okay." Tori gulped. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Beck. We will <em>later<em>." Tori hissed as she tore the file out of Beck's hands. "We need to leave, before anyone sees."

"Tori please don't make me wait any longer." Beck begged, grabbing Tori's shoulders. "I need to see it!"

"I need to too. Just not now!"

The door slammed "What's going on in here?" A guard demanded. "Oh. Hello, Tori."

"Hi, Rick." Tori hid the manila folder behind her back.

"What are you doing with this guy? I thought you were with Andre."

Tori looked back at her and Beck's past words, and realized how they were probably interpreted.

"Jeez, Rick" Tori rolled her eyes, tossed her hair, and employed her acting skills. "I was just dropping of my dad's lunch." She pointed to the bag on her dad's desk. "Beck and I are going to see a movie. We're picking up Andre right after we leave here, then all going together."

Rick flushed and stammered his apologies. Tori was gracious, and when Rick left she and Beck jetted of towards the back exit.

"That was close." Tori sighed.

"Yeah." Beck replied. "Come on, let's hurry."

(break)

"Let's see. Name, Frank S. Ruskin. Age, 32. Height, 5 11. Hair Color, brown eyes, brown. We've got copies of a driver's license, proof of insurance, birth certificate, and two proofs of identity." Beck rattled off as he thumbed though the files. Tori had another pile and Robbie another. Cat had a few papers as well.

"Guys!" Cat said excitedly. "Guys, look!" Everyone turned to look at her, and with her eyes shining and cheeks flushed, she turned over a paper.

"It's an address."


	9. Chapter 9

Immediately Beck lunged for Cat, making a grab for the paper. But the little red-head had anticipated this and stepped back.

"What's the address?" Robbie asked, confused by Cat's behavior.

"I'll tell you." Cat said. "As soon as Beck tells me something."

"What?" The dark haired man questioned.

"How did you know that Jade left?"

* * *

><p>"<em>We broke a vase."Beck whispered to Jade, whose head was resting on Beck's bare chest, tracing small patterns on his abs. Beck turned to look at her, smiling as he stroked her hair. "The hotel won't be happy."<em>

"_So? Watcha gonna do. Was a stupid place to put a vase." Jade answered tiredly, her words garbled._

"_So I'll leave a note and some money. Besides, it was worth it." Jade turned her head and grinned wickedly at him._

"_Yeah?" She said, the sleep receding somewhat in her eyes. Beck propped himself up on his elbows, leaning in for a kiss._

"_Shit!" He shouted, his head ramming into the bedside table above. Jade pointed and laughed at him._

"_Loser."_

"_Jade, when exactly did we end up on the floor?" Jade shrugged, and simply fell back onto the pillows._

"_I don't think we ever got to the bed." Jade said, her voice muffled._

"_My head hurts now."_

"_Mine does too, whenever I look at you."_

_Beck rolled his eyes and got up, taking a quick shower and slipping on his sweatpants and shirt. He picked up Jade, a drop of water from his hair falling on her cheek and glimmering there. He wiped it away with his thumb, relishing at the softness of her ivory skin. He set her gently on the bed, then put the alarm in the room to wake them up at six the next morning._

_Jade felt the bed creak as a warm weight settled beside her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing what she would have to do, hoping to make her last moments with her beloved Beck last. She immediately burrowed closer to him, frowning when she came in contact with cloth._

"_Nuh-uh." Jade growled. "No men with shirts are allowed in my bed."_

"_So it's your bed now?" Beck asked. But he stripped of his shirt, which was quickly taken and donned on by Jade._

"_And yet you get to wear a shirt?" Beck rebuked, expecting some snarky reply. But all Jade did was draw herself up to her knees and wrap her arms around Beck, nestling into his neck. He embraced her instantaneously, a second nature. Beck was taken aback by this sudden display of affection but knew to treasure it._

"_I love you." She murmured, almost too impossibly quiet, barley choking back tears threatening to spill over. Beck held her closer, so close that that she almost became lost in his warm, safe embrace. She so wanted to stay there, cut off and protected from the cruel world that tried desperately to douse any light in it._

"_Jade. Jade West, Jade Oliver. My Jade. I love you more than you will ever know."_

* * *

><p>"It didn't make sense to me why she was crying that night." Beck said quietly. "It makes sense now."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Beck-<strong>

**Sorry. I have to go. I won't be coming back. Don't look for me. This isn't like last time, where I'll just come running back to you. Leave me alone. I never, ever want to see you again. Do NOT come for me.**

**I hate you.**

**-Jade**

On top of this note lay a simple black cord with a simple dark red ring tied to it.

(break)

"And he won't come looking for you?" He asked.

"No." a young woman glared at the man in front of her. "He won't come. But what do you want from me?"

"Me?" Alex Ruskin replied. "I don't want anything with you, bitch." He reeled back and punched Jade, but she hardly felt anything. She was too numb. She would never see him again. "But I know someone who does."

"Now. You be a good girl," He kicked her in the stomach. Jade groaned. "And wait in the car, while I go visit Beck."

"No!" Jade snapped alive and pulled out a cell phone, the numbers 911 glowing brightly on the screen. "Touch Beck and I call right now." Her other hand pulled out a knife. "And if you try and stop me, I'll stab you."

"You can't even throw a punch."

"Yeah? I was supporting lead in the biggest action movie of the year."

"So?"

"I did my own stunts."

"Alright, then you do it." Alex tossed over a stack of papers. "Go back to your room and put these on the desk where you left that charming little note and the ring necklace. I'll be waiting just outside for you. Try anything funny and I'll mosey on over to your dear friend Caterina."

"What are these?" Jade caught the stack. It fluttered in the late night breeze.

"Files for divorce."

**AN: I don't own Victorious. If I did, Beck and Jade would be back together already!**

**I was able to add in a flashback, yay :)**

**Please reveiw!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, so we'll meet at the diner here." Beck pointed to the food joint on his map. "Were Cat, Tori, and Robbie will wait for me and Andre to come back from this guy's house."

"No." Cat interrupted. "No, I'm coming with you."

"Cat…" Robbie said gently. "It's going to be dangerous." But Cat gave him such a fierce death glare (one that she happened to pick up from Jade) that everyone in the room backed off.

"I don't understand why we can't just go to the cops." Tori mused.

"I already did." Beck replied. "They didn't believe me. Told me to get over it, and get myself a good therapist."

"My brother has a good therapist!" Cat exclaimed. Robbie absently whispered something in her ear, and Cat stopped talking.

"Okay. So Cat and Andre will distract the guys while I take a look around the house. I'll need at least ten minutes, so make it good." Beck said, trying to get back on subject.

"How do we distract him?"

"You guys are actors. It shouldn't be too hard." Beck said, sounding like Jade. Cat and Andre looked at each other and shrugged.

They made plans until it was late, and then Cat and Andre practiced distracting a neighbor, which they succeeded at brilliantly. Robbie and Cat soon had to leave, promising to be on time the next day. As soon as they left, Tori turned to Beck.

"Divorced? You and Jade divorced?" She asked.

"Yes." Beck said and sunk into a chair with his head in his hands. "The day I got the final papers was the day you all came over with her diary." Tori and Andre looked at each other, shocked. "I tried to stall it, I did, I did. That's why it took two years. I demanded to see her, said I wouldn't sign; I wouldn't go through with it until I saw her. But I never did. I talked to her on the phone, but I never saw her. Even after she died, her lawyer said that she wanted our marriage annulled. We divorced."

Tori and Andre were truly at a loss for words. They comforted Beck best they could, but even a five year old could've told they were lying. Eventually Beck insisted they go home, and ushered them out the door.

"See you tomorrow." He called as Andre and Tori climbed into Andre's car. The young man waved from the door until his two friends had backed out of the driveway. Then he slammed the door and turned off the porch light. He quietly retreated to his sleep, to his dreams, to the only way he could see Jade again.

Maybe if he was lucky, he would dream of her as he loved her: laughing, scowling, sarcastic, beautiful, _his_.

But that night, he was not lucky. He dreamt of the worst possible thing he could. He dreamt of the truth.

(break)

_Even from the outside looking in, it was disgustingly sunny. Sickeningly, nauseatingly bright. The kind of day when the beach seemed like the only logical place to be. It was repulsively warm too. The type of temperature where the only thing to do was lay around in front of a fan and complain how hot it is. In short, not the kind of day for a funeral._

_Her coffin was black, simple, plain. Nothing remarkable about its smoothed corners or rounded cover. Her headstone was plain as well, simply stating the name and dates of birth and date._

_Everyone was sweating, in their black attire. Everyone was crying. Tori was crying, small sad tears into Andre's jacket, and Andre not bothering to hide the tears on his face. Cat was sobbing, big broken sounds that nearly broke the heart Robbie. Jade's entourage of agents cried too, but mostly because they were thinking of all the profit that died with Jade._

_Of course Beck was crying, from his place outside the cemetery._

_He was not allowed to the funeral. The same lawyer who was insisting upon Jade's desire for divorce said that Jade had not wanted Beck at her funeral. The lawyer pushed the case, and Beck would be given thousands of dollars of fines and years in prison if he entered the cemetery and defied a dead woman's will._

_So he mourned Jade from the outside, his publicist patting his shoulder once before heading off to distract the press. And Beck stood alone._

_Many people came to speak about Jade, all them total and complete liars. Her managers, agents, prep team, coworkers all talked about how lovely, and kind, and sweet Jade had always, always, **always** been to them. They all lied. Jade had been a pain in the ass to them, every single day. She refused to conform to them, to their shallow attempts to mold her into another washed-out Hollywood wanna-be. She remained strong willed and herself and eventually they let her do what she wished, riding in her wake of success as she became one of the best and most victorious actresses._

_Tori spoke one of the few speeches that actually vaguely touched Beck. Cat tried, again and again to speak, finally just breaking down and saying simply:_

"_I miss her."_

_More and more people took the stand after Cat finished, each trying to top the other their shallowly sad speeches contrasting and not fitting in with the sun-drenched atmosphere. Beck sat on the dirt in the outside parking lot where he watching from, not caring that his stylist would kill him for ruining his god-knows-how-much dollar suit._

_Finally everyone shut up, and the box was placed carefully in the ground. Beck clutched at the soil around him as everyone allowed in the funeral threw dirt over the coffin containing Jade West's body. They people, all now dripping in perspiration, walked slowly out to their fancy cars, already moving on._

_And then Beck saw him. Him, clutching a coffee cup that Beck highly doubted contained coffee, and staggering forward with some slinky blonde woman one side and a curvaceous brunette with sultry eyes in the other._

"_How dare you?" Beck screamed at Jade's father. "How dare you come to her funeral?"_

"_Sheee was my daughter." He slurred, obviously drunk. "An' besidessss… at least **I** was allowed in!" HE began laughing manically, the two women giggling dryly along with him._

_Beck punched him. _

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so sorry this took so long! And sorry this chapter is so sad... My excuse this time is that my friend introduced me to Tumblr and I got totally addicted. And I started reading Avenger's fandom along with many others so I got a little distracted from my writing...<strong>

**Anyways, as always, please reveiw!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Agent Red, reporting to home base. Home base, do you copy?"

Tori stared into the speaker of her cell phone. "Cat, we're on the phone. Not a walkie talkie."

"Well you're no fun." Cat pouted. "Oh, Andre says that I'm supposed to tell you that everything's good and we'll meet you at one o' clock."

"Um, Cat, it's 4 in the afternoon."

"Tori! Remember **the code**."

"What? What code?" Tori exclaimed. Robbie tapped Tori's shoulder from the seat across from her and motioned for the phone."

"Cat? It's Robbie."

"Hi Robert! Ew." Robbie sighed.

"Cat, how many people are in the house?"

"I told Tori in code! Only one. And it's Frank Ruskin himself."

"Alright. I'll tell Beck that all systems are go." He smiled to himself. "Keep in touch, and be careful!"

Cat clipped the cell phone closed and handed it to Andre. "We're all good!" She chirped. "Ready?"

Andre nodded and handed Cat a baseball mitt. Both of the two we dressed to make them look younger, around their teenage years instead of in their twenties.

"Wait, Cat." Andre stopped her. "You're wearing your wedding ring." Cat gasped and quickly slid it off her finger.

"I hate taking it off." She frowned. "I don't have a pocket. Can you hold it for me?" Andre nodded and slid it into the pocket of his jeans.

"Let's do this."

They walked up to Frank Ruskin's generic looking door and knocked. No one answered, so they knocked again.

"Maybe no one's home?" Cat asked, but just then a man came to the door. He was stocky, well built, and would be somewhat intimidating, if not for the kind smile spread over his face.

"Hi kids! What can I do for you?" He asked, looking slightly puzzled but still receptive. Not at all how Cat and Andre expected him to be. Andre stood there shocked, so Cat steeped up.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you sir! It's just that, my friend and I were playing catch and the ball kinda… flew into your back yard.

"No problem!" Frank said. "Good thing it didn't hit a window!" He then laughed a big hardy laugh that Cat would normally associate with Santa Claus. Or her Uncle George during that one Thanksgiving when the turkey got stuck on the ceiling.

Cat giggled along and elbowed Andre, who gave a chuckle that sounded like a dying pterodactyl.

"Hey, is something wrong with your friend there?" Frank asked, concerned.

"Oh, he's just afraid of how much trouble we're gonna get in with his mom. She's the one who made walk over here to get the ball back." Cat replied. "She said that he'd have to pay for all the damages."

Frank looked at Andre understandingly.

"It's alright son! No harm done. Tell you what: you go get your mother so I can talk to her about these 'damages'."

"Oh, no, it's fine really..." Andre stuttered.

"I insist."

"…Ok?" Andre shot a panicked look at Cat, and then ran off with the intention of getting Tori and Robbie. Cat shrugged and looked back at Frank.

"I'll go look for this infamous baseball." Frank winked, and walked away. Once Cat heard the back screen slam, she whipped around towards the bushes. "Go, Beck!"

Beck leapt out and rushed inside. About 10 minutes later, Frank returned to the front door.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find it!"

"I think it flew into your hedge." Cat replied, aiming to buy Beck more time.

"Why don't you come help me look?" Frank asked. Cat nodded and stepped inside. They approached the back door.

They walked into a medium sized back-yard with a sparkling turquoise pool and a luscious, overflowing garden. Cat saw Beck slink back outside. _Good_, she thought._ I hope that mean he found something._

"Well, I'm not sure how to attack this!" Frank laughed again. Cat giggled, just as fakley as before, and prayed that Andre came back quickly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Kind of a boring chapter, sorry. Next one will be gooooood (Mwhahaha)<strong>

**I dont own Victorious.**

**Pleasepleaseplease reveiw!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Boss? You here?"

"I am here." Lights flooded the room, leaving long slanting shadows along the walls, making the rows and rows of doors look particularity deadly. The room had but three pieces of furniture: one throne like chair in the middle, where the Boss sat, another smaller chair across from the throne, and a fold up plastic table between them.

"Did you do as I asked?"

"I brought the redhead, and gave the black one the note after I broke his leg, just like you asked."

"And Beck?"

"He saw everything that he needed to see." The Boss laughed at this, a laugh that could've come straight out of a horror movie. Frank chuckled along weakly.

"I must say, I had my doubts with you Frank. But you did well. I'm impressed." The Boss smiled maliciously. "You'll find your reward in the other room."

Frank smiled, and walked towards the door.

"Frank." The Boss called to him before he could turn the doorknob. Frank turned around. "You can put the girl down now."

"Right." Frank said, and trotted back to the middle of the room. He placed the black body bag on the table.

"Good. Now leave." Frank complied, and all but ran away. After a few minutes, the Boss motioned to what seemed the air. Immediately, a person ran up from the shadows.

"Yes, Boss?"

"Go dispose of Frank's body. And make sure to shout 'meatloaf' before you enter the room. Otherwise, you'll be shot to!" The Boss laughed more. "Now everyone LEAVE!"

Immediately, 25 gunmen scurried out of the shadows, and disappeared through a series of doors.

"Alone at last." The Boss muttered. The Boss got up from the chair and strode over to the table. In one easy movement, the bag was unzipped the bag, revealing the body of Caterina Valentine-Shapiro.

"Maybe you're the ticket." The Boss spoke to the small redhead, and skipped up to the throne and pushed a button. Suddenly, a square of the ceiling broke away from the concrete and was lowered to the floor.

"Now." The Boss rubbed two hands together menacingly. "Let's have some fun!"

* * *

><p>"Come on, Rob! Pick up!" André muttered into his cell phone.<p>

"Y'ello?"

"Robbie! Thank God! Can you come pick me up?"

"What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Alleyway, four blocks away from Frank's house. Bring Tori and Beck." André grimaced, and clutched his leg. "Please hurry!"

André tried in vain to drag himself out to the street, but gave up and simply lay like a slug, praying that Robbie listened to him and didn't drive in his usual grandma style. Or better yet, let Beck drive.

"Andre?" Robbie finally called into the alley. "You there?" Andre choked out a half strangled sound, his eye sight blurring at the edges.

"'Dre?" Came Tori's musical voice. "Is that you?" She practically flew to his side. "Oh my God… What happened? Are you okay? Of course you're not. Okay, this is bad, really bad. Oh, God, 'Dre. " Andre reached up and touched her face. She held his hand there. "Okay. Okay, we need to get you to a hospital. Alright? BECK! ROBBIE!"

"No." Andre said. "You have to go after Frank." Robbie and Beck ran up to Andre's side.

"Robbie." Andre held out Cat's wedding band to his friend, and a note. "He toke Cat. And gave me this."

"No." Robbie said brokenly. "Please, oh God no." He held the ring to his chest, tears pooling in his eyes. "How could you let this happen?" He shouted at Andre. "HOW?"

"Robbie." Beck said quietly. "This isn't his fault. If anyone's, it's mine. But we'll get her back. But first, we need to get Andre to a hospital."

Robbie glanced between the ring and Andre, and then nodded quietly.

The two men struggled, but eventually got Andre in the back of the car. Tori sat with him, his head on her lap and him squeezing her hand. The drive to the hospital was long, twisty, and unfortunately the only option.

"Sorry, sorry!" Tori chanted as the car went over a bump and jostled Andre.

"S'okay." Andre hissed. "Just… distract me."

"Okay, okay…" Tori flapped her hands around uselessly.

"Sing." Andre said, giving her a half smile-half grimace. Tori cleared her through and started to sing.

_Hey Andre, your leg is not doing so well_

_But the way you comfort me is pretty swell_

_And this car ride is bumpy, as twisty as hell_

_You know, seeing you in pain makes me wanna yell_

Andre managed a laugh at her silly little ryhme, but then cried out as the car rolled over another speed bump. Tori looked at his pale and drawn face and started crying.

"Don't cry." He said.

"I'm not crying." Tori sniffled. Andre looked at her. "Kay, maybe a little. I'm just worried about you, scared for Cat, sad for Robbie, so sad for Beck." Andre grabbed

her hand. "And I miss Jade." She pulled Andre's hand to her forehead and let the tears fall.

* * *

><p>"Yield!" The Boss shouted. "Come on, break! How is that so complicated?"<p>

"NEVER! No, no, NO!"

"Fine. You won't give up? FINE! I will MAKE YOU!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please review if you like it so far!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

At this point, Tori was beginning to consider the possibility that she might be going crazy. She was seeing herself in two ways. Good Tori, who wanted to help Robbie and Beck go after Cat and Jade using the evidence that Beck had found at the house: an address of an abandoned warehouse and a picture of Jade on her wedding day. But Bad Tori wanted to stay with Andre and protect him, and herself.

So it was Bad Tori who told Beck that she wouldn't go with them, that she couldn't. It was Bad Tori who told them she was staying with Andre, where they were safe. Bad Tori begged them to stay too, to go to the cops and get help from them. Bad Tori did nothing more than shake her head when Beck refused and walked out the hospital door.

Beck turned around to face Tori before he stepped outside as Robbie ran to get the car.

"You know the cops will just tell me the same thing as they did last time. But I don't blame you, Tori." Beck said. "If I was in your position, I'd do the same thing." He paused and smiled. "Except Jade would probably kick my ass and threaten to gouge my eyes with her scissors if I didn't help my friends."

With that, the sliding doors closed. And Beck was gone, leaving Tori feeling guiltier than ever. She glanced back at the hallway leading to Andre, her Andre. Andre, who would likely demand to go after Cat even with his leg, who would blame himself for the rest of his life if anything happened to any of his friends.

Tori squared her shoulders walked towards his room.

Maybe Good Tori would make an appearance after all.

* * *

><p>"Rob…"<p>

"Don't even, Beck. I'm coming, even if it kills me."

The two men stood outside an old warehouse, resolute, unwavering, and determined.

And with no idea what they were in for.

"Well." Robbie steeled himself. "Time to get Cat back." Beck nodded and clapped a hand on Robbie's shoulder.

"Hold on, I'm getting a call." Beck reached into his pocket and pulled out his pear phone. "Hello?"

"_Hello Beckett. I see you found my warehouse."_

"Who is this?" Beck asked coldly. "What did you do with Cat?"

"_Funny. I would have thought you'd be asking what I did to Jade. Or have you forgotten her already?"_

"Who are you, you sick monster." Beck growled. Robbie looked at him, confusion in his eyes. Beck put the phone on speaker and put his finger on his lips.

"_If you want to find out who it was who killed your precious Jade, and if your friend Robbie, who undoubtedly listening, wants to get Caterina back then follow my instructions exactly. And if the cops show at any time due to you two… well let's just say that things won't end well for the redhead."_

Robbie looked at Beck, panicked.

"_Now, here to explain what you will do, none other than Cat Valentine herself."_

"_Hello, Robert (ew) and Beckett. This is Cat, and it's your fault I was caught." Cat said in a scripted voice, obviously reading words that were not hers. "You will walk around to the back of the building and enter through the red door."_

"Cat? Are you alright? Oh god, Cat, I'm so sorry." Robbie grabbed the phone.

"_Rob. These people they, ha - OW!" _Cat was cut off with a yelp and a slapping sound. Robbie clutched to the phone and listened as someone shouted 'stick to the script!'.

"_Enter the red door. On your left you will see a plastic bin. Please put your phones in this bin. At the end of the hallway, you will see two doors. If you both enter the door on the right, you will find me. If you both enter the door on the left, you will find out what exactly happened to Jade and you will find who killed her. However if one of you enters the right, and the other the left, I will be killed."_

With that the line disconnected. Beck and Robbie did not say a thing and merely ran to the alley, the cold of the night not matching the cold in their hearts. The opened to red door, and came into a hallway, long and stinking of mildew. They put their phones in a bin, which was located on some sort of conveyer belt. They watch as the bin rolled out of sight. They grimaced when they heard the crunching sound.

When they approached the end of the hallway, Robbie stood expectantly at the right door. Beck nodded at him, but drifted quietly over the left door. He placed his hand on the knob, a thousand memories flitting through his mind.

"…Beck?" Robbie asked uncertainly. Beck held onto the knob for just another second, his actions scarily reminding him of his and Jade's worst break-up, all the way back in high school. Beck still can't believe he let other people's opinions of their relationship rule the way he viewed it himself. But he let his hand fall, and headed over to rest a hand on Robbie's shoulder.

"Let's go." He said and walked away. Robbie nodded and the two walked through the right door.

"Cat!" Robbie cried in relief and ran over to Cat, whose feet were bound and wrists handcuffed in the middle of the floor, with a piece of duct tape over her mouth. She was dirty, clutching her wrist and bleeding from a wound on her head. The moment she saw Beck and Robbie, she struggled against her bonds and desperately tried to speak though her gag. Robbie immediately took her in his arms and removed the duct tape from her mouth.

"No!" She screamed the moment her mouth was free. "You don't understand! Jade, sh-."

"Shut up." Suddenly a man with a very large and very real gun appeared at Robbie's side. "Shut up or I pull the trigger." He alternated between pointing at Robbie and Beck and Cat herself. Cat squeaked. The gunman slapped another piece of tape on her mouth.

"Now, come with me." The gunman said, still pointing the gun. "The Boss wants a meeting."

Cat wailed through the tape, crying in a weak helpless way. Robbie gently coaxed her to her feet, but she continually fell to her feet, pointing to her ankle and making the thumbs-down sign.

"Stand!" The gunman screamed, looking more and more dangerous and desperate by the second. "Stand or I'll shoot all your friends." Cast simply sat on her knees, gazing at the ceiling and praying some higher power would grant her either telepathy or lasers shooting from her eyeballs.

"Cat." Robbie knelt before her. "Cat, I'm so sorry this happened to you." Cat turned her big, trusting eyes on Robbie. "But we have to go now Kitty. We have to go." Robbie said and slipped a hand into his jean pocket pulling out a ring. He put it on Cat's finger, returning it to its rightful place.

Cat looked at the ring, her ring, and managed to pull herself together. Robbie took one side of her, and Beck the other, and they began walking at the gunman's prodding.

Cat kept her eyes on her hand, marveling at the ring, the returning proof that she was loveable, that she was wanted, that she was more than the ditzy front that was so often accepted as her character. It may not have been a crazy superpower that could save the day. But it was enough to save Cat. And that, in itself, is something special.

The three of them walked into a room, and the gunman disappeared. The room was big and empty, rows of door lining either side of its walls. There were three pieces of furniture: a throne like chair in the center, with a plastic chair across from it, and a fold up table between them.

Robbie and Beck helped Cat over to the plastic chair, where she sat and started pointing frantically at the ceiling. Robbie began untie her ankles, and Beck gently removed the tape from her mouth once again.

"What is it?" Beck asked, as the tape came off. "What?"

"Ja-," Cat began, but was once again cut off, this time by the slamming of a door and the appearance of The Boss.

"Now, now, Cat." The Boss chuckled. "Don't spill our little secret. Or I'll be forced to do something about it" Cat whimpered at the sight of the Boss and curled up into a ball.

"What do you want with us?" Robbie shouted, wrapping his arms around Cat. The Boss looked at him.

"I don't want anything with you." The Boss said. "And Caterina didn't work, so you two are free to go."

"Didn't work?" Robbie mumbled at Cat. She just shook her head.

"I'm not leaving without Beck." Robbie said. The Boss simply laughed, saw he was serious, and answered with rolled eyes. "Fine. You may wait in that corner over there until I'm finished with Beck."

Beck nodded at them, and Robbie carried Cat over to the corner.

"Now, Beck. I just need some clarification here." The Boss said, gesturing to the vacated seat, and Beck sat. "Two years ago, Jade left you. She gave you files for divorce, and cut off all communication with you. She disappeared from the Hollywood scene. You, however, began your still current rule over Hollywood. Please explain."

"Without Jade, the only thing I hand left to live for was my acting."

"How disgustingly sweet of you. So you fell into something of a depression, correct?"

"Yes."

"And then, just when things were looking up, you find Jade again. This time, dead."

"No." Beck said numbly. "Things were never looking up. I guess to someone who had never been with Jade, that won't make sense. Jade tainted me. After I tasted life with her, there was no going back."

The Boss made a face. "What were your thoughts when you found her dead?"

"I'd rather keep that private." Beck said. The Boss regarded him with narrowed eyes, and pointed the gun at Cat and Robbie. Beck sighed.

"I was terrified. But it was sickening, because I was so happy to see her again." Beck snorted at this. "I was happy to see her, even though she was dead." The Boss grinned gleefully.

"Wait, wait, wait. Rewind. You, Beck Oliver, were actually _scared_?" The Boss started laughing again. "YOU were scared! I can't believe it. Oh, this is the best day of my life. Well, second best."

"Second?" Beck asked.

"Seeing you cry over the body of Jade, convinced she was dead, was the _best_ day."

"What do you mean convinced? She was dead, I'm sure."

"Were you?" The Boss hit a button on the throne, and a square of the ceiling once again began lowering itself to the floor. Cat screamed from her corner.

The concrete square hit the floor with a crunch and there, bound, bedraggled and bleeding but with her tale-tale sapphire eyes shining with tears…

"Jade?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Tha chapter was fun to right :) Sorry that took so long to post! I could give you alot of excuses, but I'll just skip over all that.<strong>

**If y'all will notice, I haven't even metioned the Boss's gender yet. Just a hint.**

**Oh! I don't own Victorious.**

**Reveiw?**


	14. Chapter 14

"You see." The Boss said, causally moving the gun to point at Jade and pressing a button so shackles jumped out of Beck's chair and held him down. "Jade was never dead. In fact, she never even left you. I forced her to leave with my cousin Alex, using the three of you plus Victoria and the other male as… encouragement. She resisted at first, but Beck, you and Cat served at particularly effective leverage. I made her fake her death with a fancy drug, and then I took her to Europe, where we lodged with a friend of mine. He too was enchanted with Jade, and just as interested in my little mission."

Beck said nothing, because he didn't hear anything. He didn't see anything, couldn't understand anything. All he could comprehend was the constant stream of _JadeJadeJade _whirring around in his head like a broken record. The Boss continued waxing on about the oh-so-brilliant plan, but all Beck could manage was staring at Jade. She truly looked terrible, but only to an outside view. To them, she looked ridiculously thin and in dire need of a shower, bloody and bruised. But to Beck, she looked alive. _Not_ that pale bloodless figure that haunted his sad attempts of sleep. But breathing. Living. **Alive. **

"But why?" Robbie said from their corner. "Why did you keep her all these years?"

"Because she wouldn't break." Beck tore his gaze away from Jade to look briefly at the Boss.

"What?" Robbie asked, more confused than ever. The Boss adopted an absolutely livid look, and strode over to Jade.

"Jade is not the first one." The Boss said, and knelt beside her. "I've done this before. But normally, the ones I capture, they break, they give up they lose all hope and will to fight within two weeks. It's beautiful, to see that will just fly out of a person. Because once it's gone, it never comes back."

Jade kept her eyes on Beck as the Boss ran a thumb down the side of her cheek, then pulled back and slapped her. The sound echoed through the room. Jade did not wince. (But Beck did).

"Two damn years." The Boss said. "For two damn years I've been trying to break her, to make her lose hope. And she did. She lost all hope a year ago. But she never lost her will. She never stopped trying, never ever, ever relinquished that god-damn shatterproof will of hers." The Boss turned away from Jade with disgust.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, Robbie came barreling out and knocked the Boss over. While the Boss had been ranting about everything that had happened, Robbie had stealthily slipped around the room, until he was able to spring upon The Boss from the back.

"I don't suggest moving. I learned this chokehold from Bruce Chee." Robbie panted as he held the Boss in a chokehold. Cat cheered. "And don't call any of your friends lurking behind those doors, or I kill you right now." The Boss's eyes widened when Robbie held up a long, wicked piece of shattered glass. The Boss struggled, and the constant movement caused Robbie to notice something on the back of the Boss's neck. He grabbed and pulled, and a mask slipped off.

"No. Not you." Robbie gasped as he saw who was beneath.

"You think this is…over?" The Boss said. "You think this was… all me? You have no idea. You don't know! But the mastermind will find you! You have no idea! I am not alone!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this took so long! School started... blech.<strong>

**Victorious is not mine (I've been forgetting to do that)**

**Review for a relatively quicker update? And a flipping awesome Bade reunion!**


	15. Chapter 15

With that, Robbie clunked the Boss on the head, who fell to the floor. He scooped up his gun and pointed it, hoping the tremor in his hand would go unnoticed.

Come near us, this guy gets it!" Robbie shouted, not sure who heard.

"I can't believe it was him." Cat squeaked from her corner. "Why would he? We hardly even spoke to him!" Robbie opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he heard the strangled sound of Beck calling his name.

"…Please, Robbie. Oh, god, please." Beck choked, his whole body straining against his binds towards Jade. He was certain he would die if he didn't get to her in the next, oh, five seconds. Robbie glanced at Cat, unwilling to leave his guard over the Boss. Cat ran up to the Boss's chair and pressed the button, the shackles retreating.

Beck fell out of the chair, stumbling, and then regaining his footing. The few yards between them stretched into miles, the seconds morphing into hours. If it had been a movie, the scene would be in slow motion, dramatic music playing in the background.

But it wasn't a movie. All it was, all it ever had been, was Beck and Jade.

Beck tripped up onto the concrete platform, barley aware of his own body.

Then they were together, as surely as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, arms and legs and lips and roaming hands, tears and murmurs and Beck&Jade. She was buried in his arms, not minding that she would probably pass out from pain, and deciding that she didn't care if she died here, she didn't care what happened to her because she had Beck, her Beck and he was back and he came and he never forgot her and he never moved on. "You came." She kept whispering, though hardly comprehensible . "You came, you found me, you're here." And Beck was stroking her hair, tracing circles on her back, feeling her, touching her, trying to avoid the places that caused her to inhale sharply (which was pretty much everywhere, but Jade didn't care).

He kept trying to convince himself that she was here, that she was alive, _JadeJadeJade_ still circling through his mind. He hid his face in her hair and sighed deeply as she was trailing kisses along his neck, collarbone, anyplace she could touch. Beck found himself returning the favor, but gently, he kept telling himself. She's hurt, be gentle.

Beck found she still retained her trademark Jade scent, further proof that she was in fact, not dead. After all, could a dead person be clinging to him as she was now, like he was her lifeline, like he was all that mattered. He was warm, so warm and strong and steady and comforting and hers, hers, hers.

Beck briefly held Jade at a distance, running his eyes her over and over, as if he'd never seen her before as if he never wanted to look away. He noticed she was holding her shoulder awkwardly, as well as her whole body gingerly. He mentally slapped himself for not being more careful with her.

"You look terrible." Jade sniffed and smiled, and then pulled Beck back impossibly close.

"Careful, Jade. I don't want to hurt you." Beck whispered, but gently wound his arms around her again because he couldn't help himself.

Jade smiled into his shirt, her tears stinging her split lip. "I don't think you could if tried."

Beck leaned into her, chanting to himself _gently, gently _but Jade, being Jade and retaining all her Jadeness even after two years of captivity, met him with a bruising kiss. And Beck lost it, and kissed her back with as much passion and devotion, battling for supremacy and dominance, just like always. He felt Jade smirk under his lips, and pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, the entirety of his soul sighing in contentedness. She touched the crease of worry between his eyebrows as he brushed feather-light touches of concern over her once again bleeding lip.

"Jade." He breathed, and looked at her with those deep chocolate eyes of his. "You know I never let you go. And I never will. You have to know. I love you. More than anything." Jade opened her mouth to reply, but never got the chance.

A new figure strode into the room. Jade's gaze hardened into a look of such pure hatred. Beck had never seen the depth of such blatant dislike, even from Jade.

"Stop!" Robbie called. "Stop or I shot!"

The new figure scoffed, and kept creeping along in the shadows, never reveling his face.

"No." Came a voice. "You stop, or I shot."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you for all the lovely comments. Because of them, here's a super quick update! Well, it was also me really wanting Bade back together.<strong>

**Review if you liked :)**


	16. Chapter 16

A gun was pointed at Cat. Robbie dropped his weapon immediately.

"I should've known you two would be working together." Robbie said.

"Working _together_?" The mastermind said disbelievingly. "That sack on beans can't tie his shoes without me. He works for me. As do all the others in this building." The mastermind smirked, and turned the attention to Beck and Jade.

"How adorable. A touching reunion between the two lovers. Someone should write a book about this. Make it into a feature film." A dangerous look crossed his face and quick as a wink he wrenched Jade up by her bad shoulder. She screamed a loud heartbreaking scream, and Beck leapt to his feet. Before anyone could react, Beck packed everything he had into a right hook, catching the mastermind on the jaw. A crack was heard as it popped out of alignment. Another one was heard as it was popped back in.

"Oh-ho! Your girly's gonna pay for that." The mastermind cackled. He pulled Jade along to one of the sides of the room, tying her to an iron ring hanging on the wall. He then stalked over to Cat and Robbie, who were huddled in the corner, grabbing the redhead from a furiously fighting Robbie.

He tied Cat next to Jade, and positioned the two men across from the girls. Beck took a step towards Jade, but the mastermind held him back.

"Make one move towards them, and they both die." Beck stopped, sent a pleading look at Jade, and went back in line with Robbie. The mastermind smiled gleefully.

"Now, we're gonna play a game." He said. "I made it up. I will ask a question, and each of you in turn will answer it. The order will go as such: Robbie, then Beck, then Cat, then Jade."

"Okay. Robbie. Would you rather see Cat, Beck or Jade be shot in the foot?"

Robbie stared at the mastermind as if he was a particularly disgusting type of bug. Behind the mastermind, Beck motioned to himself. But the mastermind caught the motion.

"Ah, ah that's cheating!" He frowned. "Now I have to come up with a new question." He tapped his finger to his chin.

"Okay. Who do you think is prettier: Cat or Jade?" Robbie looked nervously ay Beck.

"Well, Cat. Sorry, Jade." He said. The mastermind grinned wickedly, and pulled out a sharp knife. He walked over to Jade and sliced across the forehead, opening a long incision.

"For being uglier." The mastermind whispered to her. Beck glared at Robbie.

"Okay, Beck. Your turn. If you had to fuck with of these girls right now, whom would you choose?"

Beck stared and the mastermind, refusing to answer. The two were locked in a staring contest of the deadliest kind, before the mastermind whipped out his gun and put it up to Jade's head.

"Choose!" He screamed. Beck looked down and mumbled "Jade."

The mastermind went to Cat and socked her hard in the stomach. She whimpered, and the mastermind leaned in and said:

"For being less desirable."

"Now, Cat, you're up! If you could save one of these people right now, who would it be?"

Cat choked back a sob, and stuttered. "R-r-obbie."

The Boss pulled out identical syringes and stabbed both Beck and Jade with them.

"For being unwanted."

"What did you do to them?" Cat screamed.

"Nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Just a major pain-inducing agent. It only lasts for 5 minutes, which is a shame."

So for the next five minutes, the longest minutes of Cat's life, she got to listen to the agonized screams of her best friend and Beck, tormented over what she had done. When it was over, the mastermind turned to Jade.

"Ah, the grand finale. After this, we can play 'would you rather'! Now Jade. You are going to choose your favorite of your friends, and your least favorite, and then I'll shot both of them."

Jade's eyes widened in terror. Then endless possibilities ran though her head, but all of them ended in one way: two of her friends dead, and all her fault. So slowly, after minutes and minutes of debating, Jade opened her mouth.

"I am my favorite." She gulped. "And I am my least favorite."

The mastermind looked puzzled. "That's… not part of the rules." He muttered. "Can you even do that? No. No you can't." He turned back to Jade. "Pick again."

"I am my favorite. I am my least favorite."

"Oh, god, here we go. No!"

"I am my favorite. I am my least favorite."

"You can't do that!"

"I am my favorite. I am my least favorite."

"THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES!"

"YOU'RE AGAINST THE RULES!"

"THAT DOESN"T MAKE SENSE."

"NEITHER DOES YOUR FACE."

The mastermind was seeing red. He pulled out his knife, flashing in the light, and drew two quick lines across Jade's arm. Jade cried out, but then recovered.

"Take a hint." Jade said to him, only him. "You can't hurt me. You can't break me. You can't touch me. You never could."

"I can't touch you? Well, I can touch Cat!" He made identical marks on Cat's arm. She screamed, and Jade winced. Cat looked at her best friend, reminded of all of Jade's strength, and then spit in the mastermind's face.

"Now Jade! Choose again!"

"I am my favorite and my least favorite."

The mastermind snapped. He dropped the knife and pulled out the gun. Beck, seeing the gun pointed at Jade, couldn't control himself. He rammed into the mastermind, just as the gun fired.

For one fleeting moment, Beck thought that he had made it in time. For one precious second, he thought the bullet had buried itself harmlessly in the wall. But as soon as Beck met Jade's wide cerulean eyes, that moment went flying out the window. Blood was already seeping though her shirt, and she moaned in agony.

"That." Said the mastermind to Beck. "Was a huge mistake. You're about to see why should have run while you had the chance."

"No." A new voice rang out across the room. The voice of one of America's biggest pop stars.

"Tori?" Cat said, disbelieving. Tori flashed her a smile, but then turned serious.

"No, you should have run. Because, as I seem to tell so many ganks like you, my dad's a cop."

With that, over 100 of LA's cops came bursting into the room, and David Vega came to rest a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"We have the building surrounded. I will now read you your rights." He said, and pulled out his handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in court. You have to right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." The metal cuffs snapped around his wrists. "Do you understand these rights I have just read to you?"

The mastermind grinned, and fought against his binds, his brown hair flopping in his eyes.

"Fine! Arrest me! Do whatever you want!" He cackled manically. "But don't you see? I won! I won! See that girl? She's gonna die! Because of me! I'll see ya in Hell, sweetheart! See ya singing your little songy song-song while you burn in Hell because of ME!"

With that, Chad Ruskin and Alan Ferguson were shipped off to jail.

But Beck hardly noticed. He look to long strides towards Jade and untied her. She collapsed into his arms, her hands quivering around her side. Beck felt himself cradling her and sinking to his knees, but all that truly registered in his brain was the fading lights in Jade's eyes.

"Jade." He muttered, moving her hair out of her face with shaking eyes, afraid to touch her at the fear that she might unravel. He didn't even dare to look down where the traitorous bullet had lodged itself.

"Beck." She wheezed. Beck shushed her, his hand fluttering over her uselessly, but she pressed on. "Beck, I love you too."

And then she closed her eyes.

It took Beck a moment to register what this could mean.

"Come on Jade. Jade, don't you dare do this to me! You can't. You can't leave me again! He screamed, a very raw and visceral edge to his voice. "Please, she needs help!"

A kind looking man appeared from nowhere, in white scrubs with latex gloves. "Is that… Jade West?" He asked uncertainly. "I thought she was dead!"

"Well she's not!" Beck replied fiercely. "But she might be again if you don't do something!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think I just shot Jade. Oops. Don't worry though, she'll survive! Probobly... Depends on if you review or not! Just kidding :D<strong>

**To be clear, Chad and Alan are the two guys from Tori and Jade's Playdate. I was gonna make them Sinjin and Burf, but I thought that would be to predictable. Chad is the Boss, and the one related to all the Ruskins. Alan is the mastermind (and a JERK!)**

**Victorious isn't mine!**

**Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Jade was hurried onto a waiting ambulance, the EMTs already shouting about blood transfusions and the location of the bullet, deeming her a top prioroty. Another paramedic, noticing the blood dripping from where the syringe had pierced him, tried to check him over. Beck pushed her off and flew after Jade.

As the ambulance wailed away, Tori flagged over another paramedic for Cat. The lady, a slightly elderly woman in teal scrubs, came over to Cat quickly.

"It's okay, honey." She said to Robbie as she gently pried the terrified redhead out of his arms. "I'm going to help her." Cat still clung to Robbie as a stretcher was brought over.

"How bought this? Your friend can ride with you in the ambulance." The lady said to Cat. Her big chocolate eyes looked trustingly up at the woman, and Cat nodded. She was loaded up onto the yellow contraption, feeling various pressures over her cuts, wincing as her leg was laid out flat. The paramedic pulled up her filthy jeans, her eyebrows furrowed in sympathy when she saw Cat's inflamed and bruised ankle.

"Oh, baby, I think you may have broken that!" She exclaimed as the stretcher was moved towards an ambulance, Robbie jogging along the side. "But don't you even worry. We'll fix you right up."

Cat sniffled and nodded. "But what about Jade? Can you fix her right up?"

The paramedic frowned.

"We'll try."

* * *

><p>Beck was pacing.<p>

Tori had never seen him pace, she realized as she sat in a waiting room next to Andre in his wheelchair. She could not tell you anytime he had ever paced in his entire life. She could tell you, however, the exact properties of the white, hospital wall directly across from her. She knew that wall so well she could probably name it. You know, if she could wrap her head around anything other than the fact that those two dweebs from Nozu all those years ago had tried to kill Jade. It scared her to think they may have succeeded.

Andre followed Beck with his eyes, worried his friend would dig a trench in the ground at this rate. _Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth_ Andre kept thinking._ Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. _He shook his head quickly, realizing how annoying that mantra was becoming. So Andre let his mind wander back to the last seven hours, where he had been completely out of the loop. As soon as Beck left, Tori had checked in on him, dropped him off at their apartment, and then jetted of to find her father. Andre still was pretty unsure what happened: not wanting to bring up the subject in front of Beck, Robbie of with Cat who was getting a pink cast put on her broken ankle, and Tori nearly as out of the loop as he was. All they knew is they were sitting in a waiting room, waiting to see if Jade pulled through her bullet extraction surgery. Andre was loopy on pain meds, Tori was bored out of her mind, and Beck was wound tighter than a rubber ball.

"I naming that wall Gefredward." Tori said suddenly, pointing at the wall across from her. Beck briefly stopped his pacing, but then continued.

"What?" Andre asked, baffled.

"That wall. Its name is now Gefredward." Tori replied, pulling her knees to her chest.

Andre contemplated the wall. "It does look like a Gefredward. It needs a middle name." He added.

"How about Humphrey?" Tori suggested, smiling a little. Andre wrinkled his nose.

"A frog named Humphrey once bit my ear." He said, obviously still bitter and slightly afraid. "Gefredward is more deserving. How about... Carter?"

Tori grinned. "I love that name!" She exclaimed. Andre grinned back, and they spent the next minutes finding a last name for the wall and naming various parts of the room. Tori kept an anxious eye on Beck, who regarded their game with mild amusement. He had at least stopped pacing, and now settled for staring blankly at the wall- sorry, Gefredward Carter MacMillson the 5th.

"That magazine should be named Alan Ferguson." Tori said angrily. Beck glared at the magazine, hoping its namesake would spontaneously burst into flames. Andre rolled over to Alan and picked it up. Tori pulled a pair of scissors out of her bag, grinning a lot like Jade.

She attacked the magazine viciously, bringing a smile to Beck's face. When it resembled a five-year olds attempt at a snowflake rather than a magazine, Andre dropped it on the ground and rolled over it. Tori got up and danced on it, Andre cheering her on.

Tori picked Alan up and they all started yelling at him.

A door slammed behind them to revel one really confused doctor, Doctor Hilbert. Beck immediately turned towards him, and Tori hid the remains of the magazine behind her back.

"Before you asked, yes, Jade made it." Beck felt his entire being sigh in relief. "For awhile, it looked sketchy because the bullet got lodged in her ribs, but we managed to-,"

"Can I see her?" Beck interpreted, tapping his fingers against his thigh anxiously. Dr. Hilbert assumed a bitter look that made everyone wonder what exactly Jade had done.

"Well, she needs her rest, but she absolutely insisted. As in, she threatened to get up and jog laps until I let you all visit her." Dr. Hilbert sighed and ushered them forward, Beck smiling at the thought of Jade. At a painfully slow pace, he led them down a hallway, to the left, to the right, down another hallway, until they arrived at a unassuming door, The doctor opened his mouth to say something, but Beck ignored him and charged right though.

"Beck! These people won't let me drink any water and I am dying of thirst!" Jade exclaimed weakly when Beck burst through the door. Beck stood speechless for a moment, because she was okay and safe and looking pissed off. "Well? Get over here!" She said, then coughed.

He smiled and knelt at the side of her bed near her good shoulder, stroking her damp hair away from the white bandage around her head. She looked at him expectantly.

"Hey." He whispered to her. She smiled, and caught his tanned hand in her pale one.

"Hey." She whispered back, and in a moment everything was right in their world.

And then Jade was bombarded by a flying mass of red and pink on a wheelchair.

"Cat!" Jade exclaimed as Cat gabbed Jade's hand, threw her head down on the side of Jade's bed and started sobbing and blubbering. "Yes, Cat, hello to you too. Any reason you're trying to remove my hand from my body?"

"You could've died, Jade!" Cat cried, not releasing her hand. Jade patted her head.

"Hey, there's no way you're getting rid of me that easy." She smirked, then winced and brought her hand out of Cat's death grip and to her side.

"Okay, okay, you've seen your friends and they've seen you." The Dr. Hilbert hovered near the bed. Jade glared at him, but he ignored her. "Now it's time for them all to leave."

"No." Jade replied. "You see, this one," Jade motioned down to Cat, "Is harder to get rid of then gum on the bottom of your shoe. Believe me; I've tried for years but now I've just given up. And Tori there, is way too stubborn for her own good. And those two guys won't go anywhere without those two girls." She turned her attention back to Beck, running her fingers though his hair and speaking in a low voice. "And this one will be staying the night."

Beck kissed her knuckles and wondered if it was wrong that he was turned on by her last statement.

The doctor threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine! Five more minutes and that's it!" He stalked of muttering about pain meds and what they do to celebrities.

But Jade was fading fast, and they all saw it. So before the five minutes were up, Tori and Andre began to say their good-byes.

"Bet you're upset I'm still around to steal your spotlight, Vega." Jade teased feebly. Tori had to laugh.

"It's good to have you back, Jade." She replied.

"Hey, we'll be back again tomorrow, Snow White!" Andre said, waving as Tori wheeled him out the door.

A nurse came for Cat and insisted she go back to her room, where they would have to stitch up a couple more of her cuts. She frowned and hung onto Jade's bed, but Robbie was able to pry her away with promises of visiting tomorrow. And a Slurpee. And a chocolate bar. Jade didn't say anything: she was fast asleep and Beck was too busy watching her, marveling at all her aliveness.

The door shut quietly behind Robbie and Cat, and it was just the two of them. She, battered and bruised, but still strong enough to hold it together for her friends who needed her to be strong. And he, steady and honest and secure. But as soon as the nurses and the doctors left, and the lights were turned off, the walls came down.

Jade's big blue eyes blinked opened, already wet from tears she didn't remember shedding. Her stubborn chin wobbled, and she fought against the torrent of emotion threatening to burst out of her. For a moment, she was alone again, in that terrible concrete cell, all alone with nothing.

And then two hands cradled her face like it was the most precious thing in the world, like the sun set and rose in her alone.

"Beck." She murmured her voice thick with a heartbreaking amount of sadness and fear.

And he held her, while she cried out the last two years. Held her so she knew, had to know, that love didn't even begin to describe the wild horde of feelings churning inside him because of her.

And when she cried herself dry as the desert, Beck carefully held out one of her hands, those shaking hands that held his heart so easily, and slipped on the same rings she left him all those years ago.

"You kept it?" She asked, twisting the simple band around her ring finger reverently.

"Of course I did. You didn't think you were getting rid of me that easy, did you?" Beck replied, quoting her from earlier, and showed her his matching one. Jade let out a bubbling laugh that made Beck's stomach swoop with happiness.

"Of course I didn't." Jade replied, her pink lips opening in a yawn. Beck pulled her blankets up around them as she closed her eyes.

Beck leaned down, careful not to jostle her, and kissed her forehead. She opened one eye.

"Jeez, Oliver, when did you go soft?" She asked jokingly, knowing he would understand her silent message. _Thank you._

Beck chuckled.

"You have a tendency to do that to me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: thanks to all for the reveiws, story alerts, and favorites!<strong>

**On a diffrent note, can someone please tell me what happened in wanko's warehouse? i dont have cable, so im behind times here, folks!**

**Reveiw on your way out!**


	18. Chapter 18

Several hours later, Beck was woken up by a screaming nurse named Nancy. Of course, there were worse ways to wake up, for example fielding a call from a complete stranger to hear your ex-wife has turned up dead, but regardless. Was the screaming nessacary? Beck marveled that Jade managed to sleep though it.

"What were you thinking?" She shouted when she walked in to see Beck in Jade's bed. "That woman has just been shot. She's lucky she lived! What were you doing in her bed?!" Beck climbed out as smoothly as he could, careful that Jade was not moved. A frown settled on Jade's features as soon as her subconscious felt the loss of Beck's warmth.

"Go sit in the corner." Said Nancy, nodding towards the chair next to a small window. Beck did as she said, his eyes on his Jade the whole time, the weak rays of morning sun playing shadows along her face. Nancy glowered at him disapprovingly, then stalked to check Jade's charts. She did some fancy things with the IV, and took Jade's temperature. Nancy's perpetual frown deepened. Beck wondered how that was possible. Nancy disappeared out the hallway, and came back with a long syringe filled with a clear liquid.

Nancy approached Jade, an alcohol swab in one hand and the needle in the other. But the second she touched Jade, Jade started thrashing.

"No!" She cried, still very asleep. Jade was becoming tangled in all her tubes, and Nancy tried in vain to calm her, resulting in an even more panicked Jade. Beck sprang up from his seat.

He did nothing other than lay a hand on her forehead, and whisper her name once, like a prayer. Her eyes snapped open, and her hand went instinctively to the bullet wound.

"Jade, look at me." Beck hummed. She did, bewildered for a moment before realizing that she was no longer dreaming. He kissed her forehead, and she nodded.

"Okay?" He asked. She breathed deeply, and clutched his hand.

"Okay." She replied softly. Nancy said nothing, but quickly gave Jade her shot and told her to go back to sleep, to which Jade refused vehemently. Nancy shook her head and got up to leave, saying the doctor would be in soon.

Nancy turned around as she reached the hallway perpendicular to Jade's room, turned to see Jade arguing with the man she had kicked out of the bed. He had his arms crossed and was saying something firmly. Jade looked at him, anger evident in her striking features. Finally, Jade's expression morphed into something softer and Nancy saw her whisper something. _Please._

The man threw his hands up in the air, sent a furtive glance at the door, then climbed back in the bed.

Nancy smiled, and closed the door.

* * *

><p>An hour later Jade was sleeping deeply next to Beck, using his arm as a pillow while he weaved his fingers in and out of hers wondering and wondering how in the world he got so lucky.<p>

"Mr. Oliver?"

Beck jumped out of his thoughts, and quickly looked to Jade to make sure she had not been jostled. Jade clung to his hand as she slid out the bed, and Beck gently loosened his grip on her. He pulled the blankets up to her chin like she was a child, and kissed her forehead.

"What's up?" Beck walked over to Dr. Hilbert, who motioned to the hallway. Beck followed him, worried by the look on the Doctor's face.

"Now, Beckett," Dr. Hilbert said referring to his clipboard. "According to this, you were forced to divorce Jade by this Alan."

Beck nodded and twisted the ring on his finger.

"But seeing as this was not voluntary, and Jade insists that as soon as she is released you two are remarrying, I feel you deserve to know this." He took a deep breath. "We conducted a thorough examination of Jade's symptoms after she was declared stable, and we found some irregularities. According to our testing, Alan and Chad had been feeding her a poison of sorts."

"_Poison_?"

The doctor nodded. But Beck hardly heard him, his ears filled with a kind of roaring sound that made him see in a spectrum of red and orange and _anger_. Never before had he felt such violent anger towards any one person as he did towards Alan.

"It's called _I_-"

"I don't care what it's called. Will she be okay?" Beck asked, his eyes open and wide and searching for reassurance that he wouldn't have to go through that_ hell_ of ambiguity when concerning Jade's health.

"Her life is not in any danger, don't you worry. However, the poison… well, I'll spare you the medical analysis, but it's left Jade infertile."

Beck ran a hand though his hair, feeling a dream he had kept in the back of his mind for two years slip away. "So you mean…"

"Jade can no longer have children."

He looked at Beck nervously, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I have to erm … tell Ms. West now and seeing as she… Well, would you just make sure she doesn't try to cause any lasting damage to anything? Or anyone?"

Beck nodded sadly.

"No promises."

* * *

><p>"Okay."<p>

That was all she said. Four little letters and that was all Jade said on the subject. Hilbert left, extremely confused and flustered, and slightly embarrassed that he had regarded the situation to something similar to a detonating bomb, when all he got was 'okay'.

"Okay."

She had quietly dropped Beck's hand and turned her attention back to the television, seemingly unmoved. She flinched as the door clicked closed behind the doctor and focused all her mindset on ignoring Beck.

She was able to do it for nearly two days, successfully driving Beck out of his mind. The television became her only companion. She cut of Cat, ignored Robbie, took no notice of Andre, and disregarded Tori. And Beck. She wouldn't look at, speak to, or in any way communicate with Beck, who stood painfully silent next to her and never saying one word.

Beck, needless to say, was worried for Jade. Cat worried for Jade and Andre. Andre worried of Jade and Tori. Tori worried for Jade and Cat. Robbie worried more than everyone put together, and was reduced to making up songs about how terrible mashed potatoes were in hospitals. (Actually, in Jade's opinion, it was a rather good song. True, too.)

And of course, they all worried for Beck. He had fallen into the habit of talking to Jade when she was asleep, and it gave everyone the impression he was going crazy. And of course, since Jade was nearly always asleep, Beck seemed to be talking to himself an awful lot.

Beck's not sure what brought it on. One moment he was sitting there reading some paperback that Tori had brought him. He was just musing out loud to Jade, knowing (but not understanding why) she just was pretending to be asleep, that he didn't think that it was possible for a heroine to go through 367 pages of adventure, never once showering, and still managing to… how had the male lead put it?... "Smell and taste of scents of roses loftily mixing in with hints of cinnamon."

"You see Jade, I just don't think it's possible. For one, this Esmeralda went rampaging though a mud bog, nearly drowned in quicksand and she still smells like roses and cinnamon. Which I don't think would be a very nice smelling mix, so something must be wrong with this Griswald guy. And who names their child Griswald? His parents might have well painted a bulls-eye on his back. Maybe that's why his nose is messed up. I mean, really? Roses and cinnamon?"

He saw one of her shoulders jostle in silent laughter.

"Now, coffee and cinnamon, that's another story." He whispered and reached for her hand, expecting her to draw away. But she didn't, and turned her head towards him.

"Griswald is a pretty stupid name." She said. Beck grinned.

"Yeah." And then he laughed because he couldn't help it. "Yeah it is." Jade laughed along weakly, and Beck noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes.

"Jade?" He asked, and ran a thumb across the shadowed marks. Jade looked down. "Jade, what did he do to you?"

Her stubborn chin trembled and tears welled behind her fiercely shut eyelids. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

So Beck did what any sane man made figuratively insane. He started shouting at her.

"It doesn't matter? You… What… Of course it matters! Maybe it'll explain why you won't sleep, why you won't talk, why you've pushed everyone away. Maybe it'll explain that whenever you do allow yourself to doze of whenever you think I'm sleeping, you always wake up shouting and screaming and kicking. It matters, Jade, because all I want to do is be there for you and you won't let me! And it most certainly is not nothing, because that son of a bitch kidnapped and assaulted my _wife_, and now that I have her back, she won't even fucking look at me!"

Jade looked quiet for a moment. And then started shouting back.

"Because that's it, Beck! You want to be there but you can't. You can't just walk in and make everything better, okay? I can't just lie here and let you because I know you won't stay. They told me so! They said you won't keep me, because I won't be... because I'm not the same. They had the whole fucking thing planned, Beck. I was supposed to die, only actually survive, and then they were going to kill Cat and Robbie and Andre. And then you, you and Tori were supposed to live." Jade was getting quieter now, her anger dissipating as quickly as if appeared.

"They said… they said they were gonna lay a trap. They were gonna give you an option. An out. They were going to make you kill yourself. And then, they said, only then they would let me go and I would have to live without you. And know that you died, and it was all my fault. Okay? Do you see? So that plan didn't work. But I'm still damaged goods, and you're gonna walk out and I'll have to live without you anyways."

"Don't _you _see?" Beck replied. "I did live without you. You were dead. That was my reality. And it was _hell_, Jade. Absolute _hell_." He sat next to her and forced her to look at him. "But now your back. And I don't care what they did to you. You are not damaged. Hell, if you are then I don't fucking care anyways."

He felt tears on his hands.

"But they broke me."

"Which is why you're here, talking to me? No Jade, you're not broken. Bent, maybe, but then again aren't we all? Bent, not broken."

"What if I'm too bent? And too much for you handle?"

Beck had to laugh, and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks.

"Jade, I've been giving Robbie dating advice for nearly 27 years. If I can handle that, and breaking a certain redhead of her bible problem, I think I can handle you." She smiled and Beck eased himself up next to her on the bed.

"And besides, there's tiny detail that you've forgotten." Beck added, and Jade looked up at him, her face already scrunched up in preparation for the sickly sweet cliché comment sure to follow.

"Here we go."

"You've forgotten that I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: My Goodness, it has been to long! I'm so sorry this took, like, forever. Slow updates drive me out of my mind, and yet I'm one of the worst offenders.<strong>

**... I'm a filthy hypocrite**

**And I dont own Victorious.**


	19. Chapter 19

When Tori walked into Jade and Beck's house 5 weeks later, Andre lagging behind her on crutches, she almost burst open with joy. Jade was up and walking, hobbling really, slowly back to the couch with a glass of water in her hand, Beck's watchful and concerned eyes on her the whole time. He helped her lay down gently, chastising her for exerting herself too much, to which Jade rolled her eyes. But she was smiling.

Jade stretched out on the couch, with Cat next to her. Beck was cross legged on the end near Jade's feet, and Robbie had a chair pulled up next to Beck. They were playing some kind of card game, with disgustingly pink cards that Tori recognized as Cat's, Beck shaking his head at Robbie, and Jade shouting at Cat.

"Why? Why would you tell them what our cards are, Rob? What on earth make you think that's a good idea?"

"Really, Cat? I don't care if the cards look like bubblegum. You can't eat them! Now we all know which one is the ace of clubs because it's covered in your slobber!"

Tori laughed as Cat pouted and Robbie hung his head in shame.

"Oh, thank God, Tori's here!" Jade exclaimed as she turned her head to the door, where the Latina stood shaking raindrops of her umbrella.

"Never thought I'd hear her say that." Tori whispered to Andre. "Like, ever."

"You be partners with Cat! I can't take any more!"

"No Jade! I want to be partners with you!" Cat said stubbornly, linking her hand with Jade's. She started to let the tears bunch in the corners of her eyes, knowing that Jade didn't like her tears. Or tears in general. But the dark haired girl beat her too it, and held Cat's hand tight.

Jade said in her Cat-voice. "But Cat! I've been sick."

Cat frowned, let go of Jade's hand reluctantly, and moved next to Tori, while Andre sat next to Jade. "You've been sick too much."

"Here, here!" Beck chimed in from where he was explaining to Robbie why they didn't want anyone else to know their cards.

Nearly four hours later Jade and Andre beat everyone 52 rounds to 1 (Beck and Robbie had gotten lucky). The cards, now bent and abused from being thrown, stomped on, and occasionally bitten, lay forgotten on the coffee table while everyone sat around Jade waiting for Robbie, clad in a frilly pink apron that was a wedding gift to Jade and Beck from Beck's aunt, to finish making soup.

"It's an art." Robbie insisted when Jade asked him what was taking so long. "Art can't be rushed."

"We'll see about that." She said menacingly when her stomach growled again. Robbie turned the heat on the stove up and stirred quicker.

"Hey, Jade?" Tori piped up. Jade fixed her with a piecing glare. Tori stuck her tongue out and Jade smirked just a little.

"My dad called me today about… about them." Tori said. Andre moved to put his arm around her. Jade looked around, a bit frantically, for Beck but he was already there. He sat down next to her and she shifted to lean against him, because he was steady and strong and the only thing keeping her anchored from drifting back into flashbacks of that awful time she spent with Alan and Chad.

"Alan's trial's in two months. Chad's is in only one. They want you to talk to your lawyer. I told them you've given your statement and that should be enough."

Jade hid her face in Beck's shirt and he wound his arms around her gently. He smoothed her hair, and Cat whispered condolences to Jade while Andre watched on sympathetically.

"Stop it." Jade whispered. "Stop treating me like I'm glass or something. I'm strong. I'm not weak. I wouldn't be here if I was weak, right?" Her voice quavered. "I can handle myself." She tried in vain to sit up, but clutched her side and struggled. Beck, looking as if he might cry, quickly pulled her back even though she resisted with as much power that remained in her slowly recovering body.

Oddly enough, it was Robbie who comforted Jade the most.

"We know, Jade." He replied, smiling softly as he approached her with a bowl of soup. "You've been handling yourself for longer than any of us can remember because you are just so strong. But like it or not, now it's our turn to take care of you." He held out the soup to her. "Please."

Jade flickered her gaze to his, and then back to Beck's hands holding her shaking ones. She reached out for the soup and the relaxed back into Beck, who mouthed a quiet _Thank You _at Robbie. The other man nodded, and returned to his soup.

"I hope they rot in jail." Jade spoke to the noodles in her bowl.

Beck scowled. "Alan especially."

Jade shook her head. "No. No, Alan was cruel and I hate him, I do, I really do, but The Boss… Chad was the one who- who-" She drifted off, her pink lips tugged into a frown. Beck ran a thumb across her cheek. "Never mind." She mumbled, so un-Jade like it almost broke Tori's heart.

Tori opened her mouth to question Jade, but Beck shook his head subtly at her. Biting her lip, she looked down. Cat, however, being Cat and strangely obsessed with Jade and Beck's TV that responds to voice commands, inadvertently turned in on and started reruns of _Full House_. It was on the fourth episode that Jade spoke again.

"Beck, if you don't turn this off, I'm gonna get up and start doing push-ups."

"Hm, are you now?"

"I will. And sit-ups too. Exhausting ones."

"Do you want more soup?"

"Well, for once it doesn't make me want to puke up blood."

"Thanks, Jade." Robbie called from where he was sitting with Cat. Jade gave him a thumbs up. Until then Robbie didn't know you could make hand gestures sarcastic.

"I can get it!" Jade asserted as Beck made a move to get up. The man gave her a look and she gave him one back, but sank back into cushions as his eyes adopt a soft look that begged her quietly to let him take care of her. And because she might act tough but she was tired, god damn it.

Jade pouted at the loss of her pillow and satisfied her time by perfecting her death glare on the characters on the television screen.

Eventually Beck returned and Jade turned her glare to him.

"I ran around the room while you were gone." She said. "Twice."

Beck, unsure of whether she was joking or not, replied. "You better not have."

Jade cocked an eyebrow, a look of mischief in her eyes. "What if I did?"

Beck set down the soup and leaned in close to her, so close he could see her eyelashes brush her cheeks when she blinked slow and challenging.

"I'll have to punish you." He said huskily.

Jade grinned. "Oh?" And glanced down coyly, the act so familiar and welcome that Beck could have shouted with joy that day by day, minute by minute, second by second, Jade was returning to him.

"Severely." He pressed his lips to her, relishing in their softness and warmth stirred by passion as great as his. Basking in the fact that she was back, and she was his, and they had all the time in the world. Passion that caused them to forget their friends in the room, made them forget Jade's injury, Chad, Alan, the years they spent apart, anything and everything that wasn't _Beck&Jade_ and together and oh so perfect and oh so _them_.

Cat smiled as she saw her friend so happy, screwed her eyes shut when she saw the first flash of tongue, and then yawned. Robbie caught sight of her pink lips opening in an "o" and put a hand on the small of her back.

"You ready to go?" He whispered. She nodded sleepily and the two quietly bid Andre and Tori goodbye.

"You know all those years ago when I told them not to swallow each other?" Tori finally said to Andre after the air in the room became uncomfortably warm and Beck was distinctly shirtless. Andre nodded, seeing as Tori had recounted the whole tale when he had picked her up from Beck's RV.

"I did not mean for them to take it as a challenge." Andre laughed loudly, and pecked Tori on the lips.

"Think they'll notice if we leave?" Andre asked, and Tori shook her head. Together they left, making sure to slam the door as loudly as possible in order to alert Beck and Jade to their absence.

"Jade." Beck groaned and pulled away from her. "We have to stop."

"Why?" She asked, breathily even though she'd never admit it.

"Doctor's orders." He grinned cheekily, clearing his throat and running a hand though his hair. Jade replaced his hand with hers.

"Stick in the mud." She whispered, and touched his bottom lip gently. Beck kissed her softly one last time because he had to.

"Ready for bed?" He asked.

"If you carry me, I might implode." Beck picked her up anyways.

"That sounds painful."

"Exceedingly. So you should put me down now."

"Nope. See, if I did that I might actually get some show of affection from you. And we wouldn't want that, not when I get veiled threats and hostility."

Jade had to laugh and tangled her hands in his hair, falling asleep to the beat of his heart before they even reached the stairs.

"I love you." She mumbled sleepily minutes later, so quiet Beck almost didn't hear her. He set her on the bed, their bed, falling beside her. She immediately burrowed next to him, and his arms wrapped around her on their own accord.

He answered her, his reply so, so brutally honest.

"I can't live without you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I dont own Victorious.<strong>

**Sorry if Jade's recovery time is off, Im basing it off of what I found on Yahoo answers.**

**Next chapter is the last one, I think.**

**Please review.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_One year later_

"You know, Tori has a habit of ruining things for me." Jade whispered to Beck.

"I don't think we're supposed to talk." Beck replied. "But what did she do now?"

"I used to not hate the color purple." Jade replied, fingering her dress. "Then she put me in this."

Beck snorted and Robbie elbowed him. Cat lightly tapped Jade with her bouquet, and the priest glared at them all.

Of course, Tori and Andre hardly cared. After all, it had been nearly a year they had waited for this day, their wedding, due to Tori's need for perfection, Andre's grandmother's fear of garlands, and the cancellation of the band at last minute all delaying it month after month.

But it happened, in the end. Tori substituted her lilac garlands for bunches of them, and Andre's grandmother made it over despite her frequent insistence that Andre could do so much better.

Of course, things still went wrong: the sauce for the lobster was wrong, Robbie ordered a ridiculously expensive kind of Asian salad and had to foot a very large bill. There was the small thing where one of Tori's exes walked in on the ceremony and started singing Taylor Swift (off-key, as Jade was quick to point out).

Most of it didn't matter anyways. All that really mattered to the people on that stage was what was happening right now.

It was the nice guy winning the popular girl. The dweeb and ditz. The high school lovers proving everyone wrong and staying together no matter the circumstances. It was the six of them, all grown up, all paired off. It was Cat sewing Tori into her wedding dress, Beck and Robbie keeping Andre sane. It was Jade scaring of Tori's ex, and Cat eating the strawberries off most of the cupcakes. Th e three girls, singing like they always used to, and the boys cheering from there table, Beck louder than them all. It was the friends, the lights, the dreams come true.

Jade has to smile. She's recovering, as anyone would tell her. As her therapist, and Beck, and Cat and Robbie and the rest would tell her. It's okay, that she still doesn't feel quite human. That it's alright that she sometimes doesn't believe this is all true. Normal, that she's never completely content, never feels completely safe. Her smiles are few and far in between, and her laugh even rarer. She's starting to understand that that is acceptable for right now. That she will be okay even if it's not right away.

But she sees Andre, with his arms around Tori; she sees Cat and Robbie, dancing like a couple of regular loons. She sees Beck, grinning at her, and dancing like an idiot with the pair. He reaches a hand out to her.

She grabs it.

And later, when people are leaving and someone hands Jade a cup of coffee, she thinks about how far they've come from that day when Tori ran into Beck in improv class. She sees her friend, her family, sitting around the table with her, laughing at the photo album Tori put together. They play a spontaneous round of ABC Improv, made even more hilarious by Tori telling her departing guests goodbye with whatever letter she was on. After they send a very confused Sam and Freddie off, things really start to die down. Now they're reminiscing, talking about high school, college. Andre throws in some stories about Jade in elementary, to which she kicks him swiftly and surely for. The high school ones are the best though, and Cat pulls up the now archaic and they watch their old clips, face-palming, embarrassed, yet infinitely grateful that they were preserved.

Jade laughs, and pours her coffee on Tori's head.


End file.
